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"There we go..it's okay sweetie. Mama's here, okay? Just look at daddy, Maddison", Molly signs, using BSL.
When Molly and Sherlock's second biological daughter had been born, she was nearly two months premature. Once Maddy had turned one year old, she and Sherlock began realizing that she would only respond if she had eye contact with them or they spoke very loudly. They had immediately taken her to the doctor who diagnosed her with congenital sensorineurial hearing loss due to her prematurity.
Maddy had received hearing aids and has done extremely well with them, being able to speak a while after she had received them and learning her words, both in BSL with training, and in speech, since she was diagnosed early.
When she was first diagnosed, Sherlock took it upon himself to learn BSL as quickly as possible and to teach Molly and their other two daughters, all of whom were willing and eager to do so and had excelled so far. Maddy had a more in depth teacher who specialized in teaching very young deaf children BSL, and would come to their home a few times a week. However, Sherlock would, as encouraged, work with her consistently when the teacher wasn't there since he learned the fastest, which helped exorbitantly to not delay Maddy's language skills any further.
Now at two years old, they had taken her in to get her newly molded hearing aids since she had grown out of her old ones. As she has been getting older, her hearing has been slowly declining, causing Sherlock and Molly a lot of worry.
Today is the day she receives her new aids and has the volume turned up at the appropriate level.
Sherlock smiles at her and makes funny faces, causing his mini-me to giggle, her curls bouncing as she laughs. The audiologist grins and places her in Molly's lap.
"Alright, we're going to fit them now. It's not the most comfortable thing, putting them in, as you know. So she may fuss a bit. But it will be worth it, I promise."
Maddy's wide, striking blue eyes focus on her equally curly haired, blue-eyed dad, grinning adorably. She makes a few babbling noises, her words muddled when her hearing aids aren't on and she can hear very little.
Sherlock keeps it together, his heart swelling and breaking at the same time for his littlest girl. He signs to her, putting a smile on his face. "Look at me, Maddy. The nice lady is going to help your ears again okay? I know it's not the most comfy thing but it's okay."
Molly sniffles and holds her still as Maddys doctor begins to fit them. As expected, Maddy fusses and whines, trying to swat her away as Molly heartbreakingly holds her hands back. Sherlock signs to her that everything is okay, but she isn't paying much attention at the moment.
Once the doctor successfully gets them in Maddy's ears, she stops fussing as much and cuddles into Molly.
"Alright, they're in and she did so well."
"You did so well, Maddy! Great job!", she signs to the toddler.
Turning to Sherlock and Molly she states, "I'm going to turn them on one by one and then she'll be able to hear you at a normal level again, at least for about four to five months. Unfortunately, her hearing is declining quicker than we thought, and after four to five months I'd like her to have a consult for cochlear implants. The surgery is typically done before the age of three so they aren't learning delayed. I see that she is doing well with her signs, which is great, and her speech today was pretty aging for a two year old with her condition. She's a smart cookie. That's why a cochlear implants would work wonders for her. I'll send you home with all the information you need about it today and if you want to go ahead with it, you can call to schedule a consult which can lead to scheduling the surgery."
Sherlock immediately pipes up. "We'll do it. I'll schedule the consult on our way out today. Cost isn't an issue", he says, looking at Molly, who agrees.
"That's great. I'll let the front desk know when we are finished. Now, for the moment we've all been waiting for", she smiles sweetly and turns on Maddy's hearing aids gently, one by one.
Sherlock grins and speaks softly in tone, but average in volume level. "Maddy-girl, can you hear Daddy?"
Maddy immediately perks up and sits up more in Molly's lap, looking over at Sherlock and breaking into another toothy grin. Sherlock tear up happily. "There we go, good girl. Can you hear me?", he beams.
"Dada", she squeals and reaches her arms out to him.
Molly smiles brightly, unable to hold back tears. "Wow you can hear Daddy and me now, huh? Isn't this amazing, baby girl?"
Maddy giggles with happiness and looks between her and Sherlock as he takes her from Molly's arms and cuddles her as well.
Molly sniffles and looks at the doctor. "Thank you so much...I hate that I don't know exactly when her hearing aids begin to fail her. I knew she was hearing less because of how she reacts to us, but I didn't know it was down to a 25% level...seeing her at a 90% level again is incredible. Thank you. We will definitely make that consult for her. I just can't thank you enough, Dr. Callahan."
"You're so welcome. It's always a pleasure working with Maddison. She's an amazing little girl. Very smart too."
Grinning, Molly nods and receives the pamphlet regarding the cochlear implants from her before she and Sherlock go to the front desk, Sherlock having a little conversation with Maddy while carrying her. They schedule the consult and then head home, both anxious and thrilled that there is a more long-term solution to their sweet girl's hearing loss that will make her life so much easier.
