At first glance, Lizzie is just like any other happy six-year-old girl. She has a bright, infectious smile and loves to play games, sing and host pretend "tea parties."
But with a little closer look, you might notice something special about Lizzie. Tucked under her waves of red hair, two special devices serve as Lizzie's "ears." These are the external processors for her cochlear implants.
"Lizzie was born without the ability to hear," her mom, Stephanie, explains. "But she's never let that hold her back."
Lizzie often excels at what she tries. Recently, her dad, Josh, taught her to play chess. Now she's teaching her mom to play. She's also fully mainstreamed in the public school system and been placed in an accelerated reading group in her kindergarten class. Lizzie loves sports, especially soccer and ballet but also ice-skating and skiing.
Lizzie is patient and loving with her four-year-old little brother, Logan, and her seven-month-old sister, Bella. "Lizzie has a very caring nature," her mom says. "I think her disability actually gives her an advantage in that way. Even at such a young age, she has a soft spot for others. I think she's more empathetic because of what she's been through."
Diagnosed with nonsyndromatic hearing loss at just two months old, Lizzie has had to work harder than most others to communicate with the world around her. Before she was a year old, she began weekly sessions with an auditory-verbal therapist and also saw an audiologist. When she turned a year old, Lizzie received bilateral cochlear implants at the CNI Center for Hearing, led by David C. Kelsall, MD. Today, Lizzie's parents believe the cochlear implants have opened the world up for her.
"We want Lizzie to have every opportunity—and to have the confidence that she can do anything she sets out to," her mom explains. "By working with CNI, we've been able to give that to her."
The CNI Cochlear Kids Camp has helped significantly with Lizzie's confidence and progress. Attending every year since Lizzie was just two-and-a-half, the family views the camp as an important tradition—so much so that even when Lizzie's mom went into pre-term labor with Bella during camp last summer, her dad stayed behind with Lizzie and her brother so they didn't have to leave early.
"I should make it clear that I didn't go into delivery that day," her mom recalls with a grin. "My in-laws had come with us, so I just returned home with my father-in-law. We feel the camp is just such a great opportunity for the kids, we didn't want them to miss out."
Watch Lizzie!
Established in 1999, the Colorado Neurological Institute Cindy Acree Hope Awards Celebration is named for Cindy Acree, who underwent brain surgery for epilepsy, suffered a stroke, exhibited tenacity and courage throughout her recovery and continues to this day to encourage the community to learn about neurological conditions. The celebration is also named for Cindy's daughter, Hope.
The medical information presented on this website is meant for general educational purpose only. Individuals should consult their physician regarding specific medical concerns or treatment.
At first glance, Lizzie is just like any other happy six-year-old girl. She has a bright, infectious smile and loves to play games, sing and host pretend "tea parties."