A six-year-old whose hearing impairment had been undiagnosed for years lit up when he was finally able to hear his mom say “I love you” clearly for the first time, bringing both to tears.
Mom Courtney Inabinette, 30, from Tampa, Florida, had noticed her son Konnor wasn’t talking as much as his younger sister, which she initially thought might be normal for someone of his age.
But as time progressed, Konnor’s tantrums and temper were assessed by a pediatrician, who sent him for a speech and hearing evaluation, revealing he had a moderate-to-severe hearing impairment.
From there, Konnor visited an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist in January 2024, who diagnosed him with bilateral hearing loss symmetrical in both ears, which was leading to his frustrations.
Then, on January 19, Konnor was given his first hearing aids, which, when they were activated, caused the youngster to light up immediately.
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As a smile beamed across his face, Konnor then heard his mom say “I love you” clearly for the first time in his life – an emotional moment Courtney captured on video.
With Konnor responding that he could hear his mom, both cried at the scale of the moment.
Courtney said: “We are very excited for Konnor’s new journey with his hearing aids and are soaking up every moment.
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“My son and I share such a special bond. I knew the second he could hear my voice clearly, he would have a reaction, but we weren’t sure what his reaction would be.
“When I saw his little face turn red, my heart just exploded into happiness at seeing him be able to hear all the things he had missed for so long – my voice, especially.”
