Christmas season brings Ellsinore girl the gift of hearing

With her long brown hair pulled back in a large pink bow, 5-year-old Emmajo Pullen was quiet and still Thursday as a pair of new hearing aids were fitted for the first time.

Born with hearing loss, Pullen has been without a properly working aid for several months.

It has hampered her ability to understand the teacher at school, her grandparents explained. Her original hearing aid was broken by another child at school.

But Thursday, the small, purple instruments made an instant difference, proven when grandmother Stacy Pullen asked a quiet question from behind her granddaughter.

“Could you hear her?” asked Tom Wright, a nationally board certified hearing instrument specialist with Miracle-Ear of Poplar Bluff.

“Yeah! I can hear everyone!” Emmajo announced proudly.

Tom Wright of Miracle-Ear fits Emmajo Pullen, 5, of Ellsinore with a pair of new hearing aids Thursday.

DAR/Paul Davis

Spirited and independent, once the fitting was done, Emmajo was far from quiet or still.

She has a tremendous amount of energy, grandfather Earl Pullen confirmed.

He also helped with the hearing test, asking Emmajo if she wanted to go to McDonald’s.

“No,” she said without hesitating, adding after further questions, giggling, “I want to go to the playground. That’s where I want to go.”

The family lives in Ellsinore and Emmajo attends East Carter schools.

Her new hearing aids come just in time for her class Christmas party Friday, and right before the district releases for the holiday break.

Emmajo is a little behind in school, and the new hearing aids are expected to be a big help when she returns in January, according to the family.

The hearing loss was identified when she was born, Stacy Pullen explained.

It includes mild hearing loss in one ear, and moderate to moderately severe loss in the other ear.

The second of two new hearing aids are fitted Wednesday for Emmajo Pullen, 5.

DAR/Paul Davis

“When you have one ear that’s noticeably worse than another ear, it can cause you problems, even telling what direction sound is coming from,” Wright said. “For some people with their hearing loss, they live life kind of like a contestant on Wheel of Fortune. That sentence that’s on the wall, not all the panels are turned around. Your brain makes an educated guess at what people say and you’ll misunderstand things.”

First Steps helped with Emmajo’s first hearing aid, the one that was damaged.

Her grandparents came to Wright after Emmajo began having problems about three to four months ago.

The two new hearing aids offer improved technology, Wright explained.

“I’ve been doing this almost 13 years and compared to technology even four or five years ago, we get cleaner sound, especially in challenging environments,” Wright said, such as classrooms and playgrounds.

The new hearing aids were furnished by the Miracle-Ear Foundation, Wright said. The foundation was created to provide hearing aids to children at no cost.

In recent years, it has also begun to help adults. A small fee is charged for adults, but the local Lions Club has helped cover that for many patients, said Wright, who is a member.

Before Emmajo headed home with her new hearing aids, Wright gave her one more task. He surprised her with an American Girl doll, fitted out with its very own hearing aid. Emmajo was excited to take on the responsibility of helping her new doll — also now named Emmajo — take care of the hearing aid, just like she takes care of her own hearing aids.

Tom Wright of Miracle-Ear surprises Emmajo Pullen, 5, with an American Girl doll Thursday that wears a hearing aid, just like Pullen.

DAR/Paul Davis

As she got ready to leave, Emmajo gave Wright a quick hug, announcing, “I love you,” before heading off to the play place at McDonald’s with her grandparents.

Tom Wright of Miracle-Ear shows Emmajo Pullen, 5, the American Girl doll Thursday that wears a hearing aid, just like Pullen.

DAR/Paul Davis