Heartwarming moment four-year-old boy hears his family for the first time after getting cochlear implant surgery: ‘That’s the biggest smile I’ve ever seen’

• Four-year-old Sawyer heard his family express their love for him for the first time after a cochlear implant surgery 
• Sawyer and his baby brother Tucker were both diagnosed with Pendred syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes early hearing loss in children
• The family has started a GoFundMe page to pay for ongoing cochlear implants for the two young boys

In a video originally shared to TikTok, a mother of three posted footage of her four-year-old son Sawyer hearing his family’s voices for the first time after receiving cochlear implants.

Christina Lenglin’s son had been diagnosed with Pendred syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes early hearing loss in children.

In the footage she shared, the giggly young boy is scene after undergoing cochlear implant surgery in Ontario, Canada.

As the sound levels on his devices are turned up for the first time, the child begins to grin ear-to-ear, prompting his emotional mother to say, ‘That’s the biggest smile I’ve ever seen him do.’

Sawyer Lenglin, 4, heard his family for the first time after receiving cochlear implant surgery. He was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease that stripped him of his hearing in early childhood

Sawyer is in the room with his mother, father, older sister and baby brother, who are all witnessing him react to his new sense for the first time.

Immediately Sawyer’s mother and older sister, Rosie begin to tell him that they love him.

The young boy can’t stop smiling and laughing as he begins to hear their love for the first time. 

Rosie asks her parents if the operation will change Sawyer’s life, and her mother says it will, ‘for the better, maybe.’ 

Sawyer, said Christina, ‘courageously braved the surgery and now happily tackles the journey to learn how to hear and understand English.’

‘Big sister Rosie, as you can see in the video, is beyond thrilled to welcome her brother to the world of hearing, and [we as] parents are also elated to have the magical opportunity to communicate verbally with [our] son,’ she wrote.  

Both Sawyer, and his baby brother Tucker, were diagnosed with Pendred syndrome and though the Canadian government pays for the first set of cochlear implants for each child, replacements, which are needed every five years, are not covered by the country’s socialized medical system.

According to the family, cochlear implants for both boys will cost some $30,000 CAD – about $22,300 USD – every five years. 

Sawyer sits in a room full of toys with his father on his left and older sister on his right following his cochlear implant surgery

He gives his father and older sister a high five as his family verbally expresses their love for him

The little boy couldn’t stop smiling and giggling as his family members emotionally reacted to his new sense

Sawyer and his baby brother Tucker were diagnosed with Pendred syndrome, which causes early childhood hearing loss

Christina told Storyful, where the video was also shared, that she would like if her son’s story helped highlight the issue of access to hearing surgery and access to American Sign Language.

‘We will have to choose between ASL or speech therapy; neglecting either his speech learning or neglecting respecting his Deaf culture,’ she said.

The family has launched a GoFundme page for Sawyer and his younger brother’s future surgery and implants. 

‘[We] are so proud of his resiliency and adaptability- we all hope we can help make a change,’ said Lenglin.

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