Nathan Goss

When Nathan Goss was born in 2006 he was a healthy 8 lb., boy but he didn’t pass his newborn hearing screening test. A few months later, Nathan was given another hearing test which confirmed that he was profoundly deaf. His parents were devastated at this news, though they had suspected that there was a problem with his hearing. They noticed that although he was very sensitive to vibrations, noises in the household did not disturb him when he slept. However, he would awaken when a door closed quietly or someone walked near his crib.

Nathan’s vision developed rapidly and he enjoyed observing his surroundings. He preferred to have someone in his line of vision and was animated in his interactions. When he was 5 months old Nathan’s parents arranged for early intervention services. Auditory therapy, developmental instruction, speech and physical therapy became part of his daily routine. They employed sign language to communicate with him and to facilitate his language development. The family hoped to pursue a cochlear implant for Nathan, but they discovered that his poorly developed auditory nerves and malformed cochleas would prevent him from benefiting from a cochlear implant.

The Goss family learned about the auditory brainstem implant (ABI) but were told it was not approved in the United States for young children. Nathan’s hearing therapist found an article about Dr. Vittorio Colletti’s ABI work with children in Verona, Italy. After much research and discussion the Goss family contacted Dr. Colletti and sent Nathan’s medical records to him. Within a week they received a response indicating that Nathan was a candidate for the ABI. They were invited to Milan for a consultation, with surgery to follow if they desired.

This was the answer to their prayers. An outpouring of support from family and community enabled them to pursue this option for Nathan. Soon they were on their way to Italy. Dr. Colletti greeted them as “Mama” and “Papa” and became instant friends with Nathan. The surgery was a success and Nathan recuperated quickly. Just two weeks after surgery the ABI was activated and he heard his first sounds! He was the first young patient of Dr. Colletti to be activated that soon following surgery. Following a brief trip home, the family returned to Italy for additional mapping of the device at very conservative levels.

In Italy the Goss family met Dr. Robert Shannon, director of auditory neuroscience at House Research Institute. He was integral in facilitating their relationship with the CARE Center at the Institute. This allowed them to coordinate follow-up care including mapping, audiograms, speech and language testing and research participation for Nathan in the United States. In September 2008 mapping adjustments at the CARE Center gave Nathan the ability to detect sounds at speech levels. The date of this appointment now marks the anniversary the family celebrates as “Nathan’s hearing age,” because he then was able to listen to speech and begin learning to speak.

Nathan’s speech and language skills are developing. His parents are delighted to be able to call his name and have him respond from another room, or even upstairs. When he reads books with his mother she asks him where things are and he points to them and answers questions. He can recognize and match voices to family members and has progressed to saying their names.
Nathan asks for his device when he wakes up in the morning and many times gets it for himself, always with a smile. Once due to technical problems Nathan was without sound for two days. He was elated when the package arrived containing his new processor. After putting on his ABI all he wanted to do was to listen to music. He and his older sister spent some time together while Nathan listened, joyfully dancing with happiness.