“The deafness does not define them.”
Born with the inability to hear soft sounds and a hearing ability that deteriorated over time, the twins progressed closer to profound deafness, she said.
“When that happens, the hearing aids don’t give them full access to sounds anymore,”
Ashe and Jett were eligible for bilateral implants and underwent surgery in June 2024.
The procedure involves a two-hour operation per ear, where one part is implanted under the skin behind the ear.
The boys had back-to-back surgeries over two days.
“It felt pretty overwhelming,” Cooper said.
The feeling of uncertainty soon gave way to a sense of relief.
When the implants were first switched on, the world sounded robotic, but the boys’ brains adapted over time, Cooper said.
The implants pick up every sound in a room, creating an intense world of sound that regular ears filter more easily.
Loud Shirt Day is a fundraising event encouraging the community to wear the brightest, loudest shirts in support of children and adults with hearing loss.
Hearing House has been involved with the event since 2014, which chief executive Dr Claire Green said is a celebration.
More than 1600 New Zealanders currently have a cochlear implant and Hearing House supports more than 600 adults and 300 children.
“There are a lot of misconceptions about implants, one being that they are exclusively for children – but that is not the case,” Green said.
Children are often referred at birth during infant screening tests, via Hearing House mobile clinics, or through referrals from other healthcare providers.
Hearing House has 20 staff members, including audiologists and speech therapists, and works closely with surgeons who perform implant operations.
The organisation was established by Sir Patrick Moore, the only Pākehā to serve in the Māori Battalion and a pioneer of cochlear implants.
He played a key role in introducing the technology to New Zealand, helping hundreds of people regain access to sound and speech, Green said.
“A cochlear implant can give agency back to those who have lost their hearing, allowing them to hear the sounds we all take for granted. It is life-changing,” she said.
Implants bypass the non-functioning part of the ear and deliver small electrical signals directly to the auditory nerve.
The technology has advanced significantly, now allowing users to stream movies and listen to music wirelessly.
For Jett and Ashe, the impact has been profound. Outside of school and therapy, they are just 7-year-old boys enjoying life – especially Hot Wheels and Pokémon.
