Fifth grader overwhelmed with emotion hearing clearly for first time

Twelve years after failing his newborn hearing test, Ryder Boen is experiencing sound in a whole new way.

The fifth grader from Chelsea, Oklahoma, was diagnosed as an infant with moderately severe to profound mixed hearing loss in both ears. By age 1, he started wearing hearing aids.

Throughout his life, Ryder battled recurring staph infections in his mastoid bone — the bone that sits behind the ear — and underwent multiple surgeries.

Over time, his hearing loss progressed, and even the most powerful hearing aids were no longer effective, making him a candidate for a cochlear implant.

Video captured the emotional moment at the Hearts for Hearing clinic in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as Ryder heard without hearing aids for the very first time following his cochlear implant activation.

Watch the video above to see a boy’s powerful reaction to finally hearing clearly.

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