8-year-old Nathaniel Hoose
8-year-old Nathaniel Hoose is playing soccer for the first time this fall. But more importantly, he's also learning to hear.
Nathaniel was born without a cochlea wall, rendering him deaf in both ears.
He underwent surgery last year that implanted a chip on his skull. Now with the help of an ear piece that sends messages to his brain, Nathaniel can hear out of his right ear.
His parents say playing sports have helped Nathaniel's development. This is the first time he has interacted with kids who can hear on a regular basis. His parents say the new sounds and experiences have helped him understand his new world with sound.
"I think it's done wonders for him because he's got new noises, and like I said, new words he's never had before," says Korina Hoose, Nathaniel's step-mother.
Nathaniel is having a great time playing soccer in Oneida, and the team is glad to have him. They took the time to learn sign language so they can communicate with Nathaniel.
"The kids, when they talk with him, they use the sign language, and it's great to see that," says Ian Farwell, Nathaniel's coach. "They respond to him very well and they are learning from him. Nathaniel is a great soccer player, he's a great athlete. He's very competitive and he's very aggressive."
Nathaniel still does most of his communicating through sign language. Nathaniel sees a speech therapist five times a week. His parents say they don't know how long it will be before he can consistently communicate verbally.
Nathaniel's team, the Red Bulls, is undefeated so far and have two games left in their season. After soccer, it's on to baseball next summer.
