Best views, weather, etc. How to test them 👓 SC, Ala. sites look back Betty Ford honored
NEWS
Inspiration Nation

Little girl speaks after breakthrough surgery

Janet St. James
WFAA
Implant gives Texas girl the gift of hearing.

DALLAS — "No" is one of the first words in a child's vocabulary. But it has taken Jiya Bavishi six years to say it.

Born profoundly deaf for unknown reasons, Jiya's parents wanted her to have the gift of speech.

Cochlear implants didn't work.

In May, the now six-year-old Frisco girl became one of the first in the country to receive an experimental brain surgery in North Carolina. Instead of stimulating the ear, an auditory brain implant, or ABI, stimulates the brainstem.

Days after an eight-hour operation, cell phone video shows the moment Jiya heard something. She wasn't scared, but simply pointed to her ear, as if noticing something new.

She's been in intense speech therapy for several months since the operation.

Speech therapist Linda Daniel of HEAR in Dallas said it's clear the implant is working. Jiya is now learning the meaning of sound, much like a baby. Although the sounds aren't refined, Jiya is mimicking sounds and learning to respond without sign language or lip-reading.

"She's already far exceeded what the implant center told us to expect," Daniel said. "We were told, 'Don't expect anything for a year or two... even responses to sound.' But you can see she's not only responding to sound, but in a quite a sophisticated way."

No one knows the long term quality or fluidity of the speech Jiya will learn. But the ABI is considered breakthrough technology for deaf candidates who meet specific criteria.

"Anything she says, we love it," admits Jiya's father, Jatin Bavishi. "We just want her to continue."

Jatin said he has listened to and answered criticism from the deaf community about the risks of the surgery. Many also believe that being deaf is not a handicap that should be corrected.

Jatin said he and his wife have no regrets, and Jiya seems to enjoy experiencing new sounds.

One word this dad hopes his daughter never learns is the word "impossible."

Here at the USA TODAY network, not only do we want to provide you with the current events of the day, but also a little dose of inspiration while you're getting your news fix. Inspiration Nation is our way of providing you with that jolt of good news to bring a smile to your day.

Featured Weekly Ad