Norman was born with hearing problems and was completely deaf by the time he was eighteen. He was determined not to let this disability get in his way. Despite obstacles, he obtained a college degree. He however had difficulty obtaining a well paying job because employers were reluctant to hire a deaf individual. He was delighted to learn that his doctor considered him an ideal candidate for a cochlear implant because of his tremendous motivation and the fact that he was post (not pre-)linguistically deaf. His hopes were soon dashed when Cimarron Salud! declined to perform the surgery. Cimarron claimed the implant was not medically necessary because Norman had learned to communicate with his hands.

Norman filed an appeal and was able to obtain more detailed information from his doctor. Cimarron relented and agreed to provide the requested implant. Surgery is scheduled to take place in a couple of months. Norman is very excited by the likelihood that he will again be able to hear the voices of family members and loved ones. We congratulate him on the victory and join him in hoping the surgery is a success.