As society evolves, the deaf society evolves with it.
Cochlear implants, widely used at this time, is a device with a few dozen electrodes that tries to do the work of thousands of damaged or missing hair cells inside the human cochlea. Children who are implanted with the cochlear implants oftentimes quit using them usually in their teen years due to many reasons not excluding the following possibilities;
1) Maintenance costs and issues
2) Variability in outcomes
3) Limitations on activities, travel, and diagnosis
4) Social or peer pressures
The stem cell solution for hearing loss/disabilities is replacing the missing or damaged hair cells inside the human cochlea to restore hearing and improve balance. And doing it early in the child's years would eliminate the 4 main possibilities and let the child develop naturally. Stem cells has the potential to beat even the best technology available to treat humans.
Orange County Deaf Advocacy Center congratulates and applauds the opening of the Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center at the University of California, Irvine.
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