Nothing about baby Jordan Blair's life so far has been easy. In fact, his entire life has been spent facing an uphill battle. The adorable little fighter has faced everything from sever illnesses to hearing loss. While his short time on earth has been spent facing hardships, things just got the slightest bit better for tiny little survivor!
In a recent viral video, baby Jordan is seen hearing his mother's voice for the very first time thanks to a pair of hearing aids! And while the video is sure to bring a smile to your face, it's important to note just how far the infant has come.
"He's had a rough start," Jordan's mother, Taryn Blair, told TODAY Parents. Quite the understatement, actually.
Jordan's "rough start" (as his mother calls it) began shortly after his birth on April 16, when he did not respond to hearing tests performed at the hospital where he was born. At three weeks old, Jordan was hospitalized with a chest infection and diagnosed with RSV, a highly contagious virus that affects the respiratory tracts of young children. Audiologists were then unable to get accurate results from hearing tests, as the baby's ears were filled with fluid.
(Source: Taryn Blair)
It doesn't stop there. Baby Jordan also has laryngomalacia, a condition that causes breathing difficulty and acid reflux, was born with ankyloglossia, commonly known as tongue-tie, and is being treated for torticollis, a condition that causes him to bend his neck to one side.
Though faced with tragic circumstances, his hearing impairment is far from unexpected. Apparently, hearing loss runs in Taryn Blair's family. In fact, she (and a number of her family members) use cochlear implants and suffer from similar hearing issues.
In the precious viral video--filmed when Jordan was 3-months-old--shows the infant laughing and giggling after being fitted with a pair of tiny hearing aids, and hearing his mother's voice for the very first time. Taryn and her husband, Damien, say the giggles of her child were a welcome change from the months of crying and sickness she has watched her baby endure.
(Source: YouTube)
"[W]hen he laughed in this video after the constant screaming since birth, it made it even more wonderful to see," said Taryn.
"We were thrilled, and so happy to see him giggle and smile like this. I cried with happiness to see my baby laugh at my voice and watch him giggle at the rattle sounds," the ecstatic mother added.
Jordan has been put on a waiting list for a special hearing test that will be performed under sedation, and will hopefully give his family a more detailed explanation of the severity of his hearing loss and determine whether or not he is a candidate for cochlear implants. In the meantime, audiologists recommended that Jordan be fitted with hearing aids, reports TODAY.
For now the infant is adjusting to hearing for the first time, and is showing signs of enjoying his new abilities! HE's been reported to be laughing, smiling, and interacting just as shown in the video! We hope to see Jordan again so, and wish that his hearing loss isn't severe and will be fitted with cochlear implants asap!
Watch the incredible and adorable video of baby Jordan hearing his mommy's voice! Full video on next page!
[H/T] TODAY
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