"When problems arise, it's very important to have someone you can turn to."

My name is Silvia and I live with my family in Schärding, Upper Austria. Our youngest son of three children is fitted with cochlear implants on both sides. After a severe newborn infection, we received the diagnosis that he was bilaterally deaf after about three months and many examinations. This was a big shock for us at first, but in the end we decided to go ahead with the implantation. Today, we are infinitely grateful and overjoyed to have taken this (often difficult) path and to be able to give Julian a normal life. My recommendation is therefore to take advantage of the wide range of therapies from the very first second of the diagnosis in order to achieve the best possible care. Talking to other sufferers has also helped us in many situations. We are very grateful that there are such good networking opportunities. I can only advise other parents to listen to what other families have experienced so that they can make the best decision for their own child.