When 14-year-old Cindy Redmond answered a phone call at a friend’s house, her life changed forever.
Sitting at the kitchen table at a friend’s family dinner, Cindy was punished by her friend’s stepfather for talking on the phone during dinner.
When Cindy didn’t hang up the phone, her friend’s stepfather blasted Cindy in the face with an air horn. The cruel punishment changed her life forever.
Immediately after being punished with the air horn, Cindy felt a horrific pop in her head. And ever since, the pain hasn’t left.
The day after the family dinner, Cindy went home from school early. She felt ill and her peers and teacher’s voices seemed incredibly loud.
Now, the pain is so intense that the 14-year-old, who lives in Delaware, can no longer attend school at all.
Because the pain continued for days, Cindy finally told her parents what happened. That’s when they rushed the teen to the emergency room. However, it was very late when the doctors were able to determine the cause of her pain and diagnose her. She was found to be suffering from Hyperacusis, which is a rare disorder.
For about six months, doctors claimed that she had an inner ear canal infection, and they prescribed her with Tylenol coated in codeine.
Since the pain was still present, Cindy and her mother approached many doctors in specialized fields. They finally found an answer when they met with an occupational therapist, who recognized the cause and effects and diagnosed Cindy.
Unfortunately, Hyperacusis is not curable. It consists of neurological and inner ear damage. When someone suffers from this condition, everyday sounds can be painful. Such things as a dog’s bark or a baby’s cry could result in stabbing pain in the ear or a burning sensation, and it could take days to recover.
Cindy’s condition took a toll on her way of living. Since then, she has been forced to isolate herself at home and stay in a quiet room. She has since been home-schooled, missing family gatherings, and she might never experience going to concerts or parties without a cure. Getting a job seems impossible so far as well.
Speaking with the Daily Mail, Cindy said that she constantly feels pain on a level of six, but even a short time of exposure to a high-pitched sound could send her suffering in agonizing pain for hours and hours.
In addition, if Cindy is exposed to prolonged noise, it takes mostly two days for her to recover.
Laurie Redmond, the mother, shared how they have to plan their outings ahead of time to make sure that the location would not too populated.
She shared, “For her 14th birthday she wanted to go to the aquarium. Twenty minutes in she was sobbing from the pain.”
Laurie expressed her worries that her daughter might not have a normal life since a cure is yet to be invented.
Not much is known about Hyperacusis. Up to this day, it is still considered a poorly studied condition.So far, experts believe that the rare phenomenon is caused by severe damage to the nerves in the inner ear or perhaps by neurological damage.
There is also no surgical cure for Hyperacusis. Physicians advised Cindy that the best treatment is 100 percent exposure to sound.
Cindy has been subjected to wearing a special earpiece that is like a hearing aid and can produce white and pink noise for sound therapy. Although, Cindy suggested that there have been no significant results just yet.
While hearing loss is hard for everyone, it is especially hard for young children and teenagers. Not only does it affect their ears, but losing their hearing also affects their performance in academics, their social life, their self-esteem, as well as their vocational preferences.
Watch the video below for more details:
Source: AWM
