Many parents are upset to learn their child has hearing loss. But for Jenna, her daughter Harper’s diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss came with a feeling of relief. Jenna says, “I was relieved to know I wasn’t wrong, and that there was something we can do!” Jenna had already learned what so many DHH parents know – that they are their child’s first, and often best, advocate.
Harper passed her newborn hearing screening, but by her second birthday, her parents suspected that something was missing. Clearly a bright and social girl, Harper just wasn’t progressing with her speech as she should be. Hearing tests had returned ambiguous results, the audiologists had told Jenna not to worry—it was just hard to test a young child that accurately. Still, Harper wasn’t speaking as many words as she should be—and Jenna kept pushing to explore every angle, from neuropsychological testing to Early Intervention.
Looking for a second (really a third) opinion, Jenna contacted the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, an FHSR program partner. The team at Lurie’s quickly confirmed that Harper had severe hearing loss in both ears and fitted her with hearing aids. Within a year, Harper’s hearing loss progressed and she went from wearing hearing aids to cochlear implantation surgery—first for her right ear, then six months later for the left. Luckily, Harper not only tolerated the new devices and surgeries but adapted quickly. As Jenna says, “She was unconsciously begging for sound for so long—she took to them immediately.”
But accessing sound was only the first step in Harper’s lifelong journey with hearing loss…and Jenna’s work as Harper’s advocate is far from over. In every new situation—every new classroom, activity or relationship—Jenna says “It’s always a concern in the back of our minds; will they know how to support her? And if not, will they talk to us? In a lot of ways she’s completely typical but there are additional services and supports that she needs.”
And as any parent knows, as Harper grows, she will have to speak up for herself in more and more situations. Self-advocacy takes self-confidence—Harper needs to understand what she needs and have the courage to ask for it. So for now, that’s what Jenna is focused on—helping Harper find her voice, so she can speak up.
FHSR’s music programming encompasses tuition-free enrichment classes, individual instrument lessons, school-based curricula and Music Therapy — all working together to give a deaf or hard of hearing child every opportunity to participate and enjoy the benefits of music. The Foundation is dedicated to making music a part of every DHH child’s life.
Jenna found the Foundation for Hearing and Speech Resources soon after Harper’s diagnosis. “Every one of our programs, whether it’s music, our free family events, or our Education Coordinator services—is designed to uplift the whole child,” says FHSR Executive Director, Kristen Van Dyke. “We recognize that building self-esteem is crucial for all children to learn to speak up for themselves, much more so for children with hearing loss.”
Harper’s first FHSR event was Cheers for Ears, which remains a family favorite. There, Harper was able to see and interact with other children with hearing loss, and even other children with implants just like hers. As Jenna says, “the idea that the kids can see other kids like them? There’s no other way to provide that. I can’t overemphasize how important that is.”
Harper has always had a creative side, and expresses herself in visual art and song. It was natural then, that she would join FHSR’s music programming—first as a participant in Music Therapy, where children build expressive and receptive communication and self-confidence in a fun, musical setting, and then as a Music to My Ears (MTME) scholarship recipient.
Jenna saw remarkable progress from Harper in Music Therapy. “She’s definitely more confident,” Jenna says, “socially, with the other kids, but also in the group—just speaking up, saying what she wants or needs. That confidence helps with all the other skills.”
MTME provides children with the opportunity to attend early childhood music classes or (for older children) receive instruction on the instrument of their choosing. Harper’s instrument? Her voice! Her mom notes that she is always singing – in the house, in the car, everywhere she goes. In 2024, she and her best friend Roselynn (another former FHSR champion child) joined the Music Makers Music Theatre program, playing parts in The Lion King Jr. and taking part in a summer showcase. This year, they’ll take the stage again as “minis” in Music Makers’ production of Moana Jr., opening in January, 2026.
At a recent rehearsal, it’s clear that Harper loves what she’s doing – coming alive as she and her fellow cast members begin to learn their choreography for a group number. In a noisy group (Moana Jr. features a cast of over sixty children from Kindergarten through fourth grade!), Harper still needs some accommodations – she sits as close as possible to the piano, and Roselynn’s mom sits close by to provide visual cues. But through it all, Harper is an active participant, singing and dancing right along with her typically-hearing peers. “We’re always so proud of her,” Jenna says, “I want her to get credit for how hard she’s working. She puts in the work every day, and is still a happy, social, creative kid.”
FHSR salutes Harper—our 2025 Champion Child, who is learning to become her own champion, and moms like Jenna, whose advocacy on behalf of their children inspires our work every day. As Harper grows, FHSR wants to grow our programing with her, to continue to support her as she advocates for herself in every situation she faces.
Will you join us? Your contribution to the 2025 Annual Appeal is a commitment to Harper, and the thousands of kids like her in Illinois, who need your support to find their voices and achieve their fullest potential.
