Kaylin was diagnosed with hearing loss when she was two years old. Her parents missed the signs that Kaylin wasn’t hearing early on because they were distracted with other complications. Kaylin was born with dislocated hips and spent her first 18 months in a full body cast. When she was two, her parents realized she was not responding to their voices and immediately knew  something was wrong. At first, they were told that the delay in development was a result from being in a full body cast. Her parents were not convinced this was the reason, so they took her to an audiologist to get tested. Their suspicions were correct and Kaylin was immediately fit with her first pair of hearing aids.

Kaylin is extremely appreciative of her hearing aids. They allow her to hear her favorite sounds, like country music, the crashing of waves, and rain hitting the roof during a storm. Not only is she grateful for all of the wonderful sounds can hear, she also loves to turn them off to silence the world when she needs to focus or when she wants to take a nap.

Kaylin believes her hearing aids have allowed her to better connect with others both professionally and personally. Professionally, Kaylin uses her phone as a microphone that connects directly to her hearing aids through Bluetooth, so she doesn’t miss any important information during meetings. Through her hearing loss journey she has met so many amazing people and appreciates all of the opportunities she has been presented with. In 2017, she represented the USA Women’s Golf Team at the Deaflympics where she won the gold medal!

“I have always viewed wearing hearing aids and being hearing impaired as a blessing in my life.”

Kaylin is a HearStrong Champion because she is passionate about spreading her story and advocating for herself and others. Kaylin has overcome so many obstacles in her life. She was told that she would never be able to walk and went on to receive a full athletic scholarship to Campbell University and be a gold medalist in the Deaflympics. She is an incredible role model and inspiration to many. She strives to inspire others and is proud to share her hearing loss journey at Deaf and Hard of Hearing schools and at events. She wants others with hearing loss to know that they are not alone and they should wear their hearing devices with pride like she does.

“I am very positive when it comes to my hearing loss and I love being a part of the Hard of Hearing Community. I have always felt that I have been a role model for others and want to continue to spread awareness about hearing loss and the positivity of being a part of this community. Wearing hearing aids ROCKS!”