CLINTON, Tenn. — For around 30 years, Brandy Brogden hasn’t been able to hear the sounds that most people hear daily.
“I’ve never heard my kids speak. I’ve read their lips,” said Brogden.
She was diagnosed with Scarlett Fever when she was 7 years old then again when she was 13 years old. She was also diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss at that age, as well. After she turned 19 years old, her hearing was labeled as a profound loss. Eventually, she lost her hearing completely.
“I went to the audiologist, and she said, ‘It’s not your hearing aid,’” said Brogden. “I said, ‘What do you mean?’ And she said, ‘It’s you.'"
But her lack of hearing didn’t lead to a lack of ambition. Brogden got a degree in nursing. At the end of 2022, she also graduated from law school. In July, she passed the bar exam to become an attorney.
The biggest change in Brogden’s life was in October when her cochlear implant was activated.
“It was strange at first because I didn’t realize I was hearing my own voice," Brogden said.
She heard things clearly for the first time in 30 years.
“I said, 'Mom, put your hand in front of your face and say something to me,'" Brogden said. "And she said, ‘I love you, Brandy,' and I heard it."
She said regaining her hearing is the biggest gift and blessing this holiday season.