Manitoba child thriving following infant cochlear implant surgery
She has been called a pioneer after undergoing cochlear implant surgery at a very early age and has since paved the way for many younger Manitobans to get their ears.
Ireland Gault was the youngest Manitoban ever to be outfitted with bilateral cochlear implants.
They were turned on for the very first time when she was 11 months old back in February of 2018.
Surgeon Dr. Darren Leitao said the goal was to have her hearing before her first birthday.
"This gives her a chance to have her parents sing her Happy Birthday," said Leitao.
Since then, four birthdays have come and gone for Ireland and now she's the one singing.
Recently, mom Courtney Gault says Ireland has started working on speech.
"She's really good with vowels, and right now we are really working on the beginning of words and closing the end of words," said Courtney.
Because of the pandemic, Courtney has been doing a lot of the therapy herself and says one helpful trick is to whisper words like pop.
"She will hear the ‘P’ in the front and the back if I whisper it, as opposed to just saying pop, because of how she hears,” said Courtney.
Because Ireland's procedure proved safe and successful, 17 other Manitoba children have been outfitted with cochlear implants "We now make that our standard of care for children that are diagnosed with deafness to get them hearing before their first birthday," Leitao said.
Ireland's parents played a big role in making this a reality, according to Leitao. He said they pushed the medical team to do the surgery as soon as possible.
"When we first found out Ireland was a candidate, we had done some research in different countries of how they were implanting children as young as three to four months," said Will Gault, Ireland's father.
The biggest benefit of getting “her ears,” as she calls them, as soon as she did is that she will be going to kindergarten with other kids her age.
"Just to see her out there fitting in, it just brings such joy to us," said Will.
He says she already loves preschool and being a big sister.
"She's so kind and she's so helpful and she's the best big sister and she’s the most awesome daughter. We are so lucky to have her," said Will.
Ireland's profound deafness was found through Manitoba's universal newborn hearing screening program, which started in 2016.
Ninety-eight per cent of newborns in the province are screened through this program.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Government agrees to US$138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Pro-Palestinian protests roiling U.S. colleges escalate with arrests, new encampments and closures
The student protests of Israel's war with Hamas that have been creating friction at U.S. universities escalated Tuesday as new encampments sprouted and some colleges encouraged students to stay home and learn online, after dozens of arrests across the country.