When I was just a little girl, an ear infection changed my life in ways no one could have imagined.
My family had no idea how it happened, but it seemed to stem from my time at daycare. My doctor prescribed a strong ear drop with specific instructions, and my mom made sure the daycare staff knew how important it was to follow them. But something went terribly wrong.
Either too much ear drop was applied, or it was given at the wrong time, but within that single day, everything changed. I left daycare hearing just fine, unaware that it would be the last time I'd ever hear anything. That evening, I was sitting watching TV when my mom gently tapped my shoulder. I jumped. I mean, really jumped. My mom looked at me, confused, and said, “Kellina, I was calling you.” That’s when I realized something was wrong.
I looked at her, confused, and said words that still echo in my memory: "Mom, I can’t hear you."
My mom panicked, immediately reaching for the phone to call my grandmother, who was a nurse. Grandma rushed home from the hospital, bringing her tools to test my hearing. I didn’t respond. No matter what they did, there was silence.
