“This is Alex, my nephew, and my son Kevin,” writes reader Alana Tisch. “Due to cytomegalovirus (CMV), Alex was born deaf. It wasn’t until after his first birthday that doctors were able to identify the severity of his hearing loss and suggest cochlear implants. Alex’s speech has developed rapidly due to the therapies he is provided in conjunction with the implants. As you can tell from this picture, the cousins are as close as can be. The implants have never registered as anything but normal for Alex’s cousins and family. Alex is incredibly smart, he is extremely tech savvy, even at three years old. In fact, Alex has educated our entire family with the use of sign (language) and the tools he learns through speech therapy techniques.”