The Day My Son Heard Me

In a Srinagar hospital during the pandemic, my four-year-old son heard sound for the first time. What followed was years of therapy, sibling support, and daily hope.

- Mohammad Hanief

In March 2020, I watched my four-year-old son burst into tears. We were in a hospital in Srinagar, and his cochlear implant had just been activated. It was the first time he had ever heard sound.

He was stunned. His eyes searched the room, his face trembled. Then, he smiled.

That moment still lives with me. It was when everything changed.

My son, Mohammad Numaan, was born in April 2015, two months early. He spent 15 days in an incubator at LD Hospital. His lungs were weak, and each hour felt like a wait.

When we finally brought him home, we thought the worst was behind us.

But as he grew, we noticed the silence.

By the time he turned two, he hadn't said a single word. We saw doctors in Srinagar, then in Chandigarh and Delhi. Tests confirmed full hearing loss in both ears.

Someone mentioned cochlear implants. I knew little then, so I started reading everything I could, watched videos, joined online forums, and spoke to other parents. I had to know what we were signing up for.