A man from Steinbach says receiving bilateral cochlear ear implants was the most amazing gift.

Brad Mehling explains he was born profoundly deaf and used hearing aids, lip reading, and American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate. He says between the ages of four and six he had extensive testing and was found to have severe-profound bilateral hearing loss.

Mehling notes he was fitted for a hearing aid in Grade 2 and became heavily dependent on lip reading.

"It was the most difficult time in my life, being noticed as different than all the other kids. I found school extremely hard. In Grade 4 I received an FM auditory trainer where the teacher wore a microphone and I wore a special power pack, a very powerful hearing aid that went directly into my ear. That device was a lifesaver for me because it enabled me to hear the teacher wherever they were."

He adds the first noise he remembers after getting his hearing aid was a fire truck and to this day that memory comes back each time he hears sirens. Mehling says he received his second hearing aid when he was in junior high, and then after high school, he was accepted into the Faculty of Education.

"However, in those days, people didn't know about hearing impairments and I was fortunate enough to meet five other people who were going to university at that time with hearing impairments. We came together as a group and worked with the university to allow us to get our education. So, we had note takers, we had FM systems, and we were all able to get educated and graduate from university."

Fast forwarding to 2010, Mehling says he was on his honeymoon and developed a serious ear infection which he had to receive six weeks of IV therapy for. He notes the therapy was successful, however, two days afterward he lost his balance, fell and his hearing was completely gone.

"After that my wife, bless her heart, we searched for every way possible to try and regain my hearing but all the specialists in the world told me I would never regain my hearing," notes Mehling. "At that time, we started to explore the option of a cochlear ear implant to see whether I was a candidate. Thankfully, I was tested and found to be a really good candidate to receive a cochlear ear implant."

In March 2011 Mehling flew to Newfoundland and underwent surgery to have an implant surgically placed to bring hearing to his left ear, he adds the implant was activated a month later.

"That was a really exciting time," recalls Mehling. "I had my father, my wife, and my kids at the appointment when they turned it on. What an experience that was! Your nerves that have never been working all your life all of a sudden get activated. It's like never throwing a [base]ball in your life and when you're 40 years old, you throw a ball for the first time; you're never going to get the right pitch on the first try."

Mehling says his father sounded like a women, his wife sounded like Mickey Mouse, his daughter was a very high soprano and his son's giggle was that of a cartoon character. Thankfully, he notes they adjust the levels for each person to match what it would sound like if they had been a hearing person all along.

He adds in August 2011 something started to fail and he had to have the surgery redone in Winnipeg through the Central Speech and Hearing Clinic in December 2011. Mehling says being able to hear again was an emotional experience.

"My daughter is a singer, imagine for the first time hearing your daughter sing with the full sound. It was extremely emotional. I will never forget how beautiful the sound was and I was probably crying like an idiot. The first time hearing my son excited because he scored a goal on the ice, 'Dad, I scored!' Even hearing my wife's voice for the first time in its entirety. She has such a beautiful and calming voice."

Smiling Mehling says he and his wife had a new game called 'What's That?' where Mehling would ask his wife to describe every sound. He notes she probably became exhausted answering all of his questions like when he heard the refrigerator humming, the clock ticking, an ambulance going down the street or the sounds of nature at the lake.

"My wife and the rest of my family appreciate their hearing. What is normal to them is new to me, so they really gained an appreciation for it."

He says in December 2016 he received another amazing gift, he was chosen to receive a second implant and have bilateral cochlear ear implants, he notes the implant was activated two days before Christmas and Christmas carols have never sounded more beautiful.

"There is no way to describe this as I received the greatest gift of grace ever in my life," notes Mehling. "I compare it to seeing colours for the first time, for someone that hasn't any sight. The world of sound is amazing. To be able to drive and look at the road instead of looking at my wife, lip reading, and not looking at the road."

Mehling adds he is saddened when people don't pay attention to their hearing and take it for granted; he notes it's sad to see people damage their hearing by listening to music too loud or not taking the necessary precautions.

"Protect your hearing at all costs, just like you should protect your eyes at all costs," cautions Mehling. "Studies are showing that more and more young people are losing their hearing at a younger age because of the constant pound that their nerve takes by listening to music constantly."

He notes listening to music isn't the issue, but if someone finds they are often having to increase the volume, there may be a problem starting to show its colours.

Mehling says he's very thankful to the doctors at the Health Science Centre, people at the Central Speech and Hearing Clinic, all his friends and family who were patient and understanding as he was learning what each sound was, and his employers who were understanding of his leave and welcomed him back.