Hear them out: Although senior twins Bob and Matt Heerdegen live with a progressive auditory syndrome, life is not double trouble for the brothers who thrive despite their condition.
In the first grade, the Heerdegen twins were diagnosed with progressive large vestibular aqueduct syndrome, which creates a significant loss in their hearing. For the twins, life is about appreciating what they are capable of achieving while overcoming the difficulties a hearing disability creates.
“I’ve essentially grown up with the problem, so it’s not some really devastating thing like it would be for anyone else in this room if they were to lose some hearing right now,” Matt Heerdegen said. “I don’t let it bother me because I know I can’t do anything to change it.”
While the Heerdegen brothers cannot change their hearing, they can change the way they utilize the hearing they do have.
“I still have perfect hearing in my right ear, so it’s easier to focus my sound,” Bob Heerdegen said. “Sometimes I can hear better than people with two perfect ears because I’ve adapted to focusing my hearing.”
In order to help focus their hearing, both brothers wear practically invisible, bean-shaped hearing aids tucked behind their upper ears. Additionally, before each class, the brothers give a small attachable microphone to their teachers to wear so that the teacher’s words are transmitted straight to the brothers’ hearing aids. (see sidebar for more about their hearing aids)
“[Giving my teachers microphones every period] isn’t so much a hassle as it is pure entertainment for me,” Bob Heerdegen said. “Most teachers haven’t seen or used an FM transmitter before, and there are some teachers who become frustrated because they fall off when you clip them onto clothing.”
Although the twins do not hear normally and instead hear with their hearing aids, Matt and Bob do not believe that their education has been negatively affected because of their hearing deficits. Instead, Bob says it certainly affects the activities the boys can participate in. The boys cannot swim, fly in airplanes, ride roller coasters, or play sports because any impact whatsoever to the twin’s head or chest could worsen their hearing.
“In eighth grade, I went up in my uncle’s Rockweller commander single prop plane,” Bob Heerdegen said. “When we landed, we landed quickly, so I didn’t have time to adapt to the change in pressure, so I teared up from the pain in my ears.”
Bob is not the only one who has experienced extra scares due to the setbacks hearing loss creates.
“We can’t due a lot of things most kids did when they were younger, especially after what happened this October,” Matt said.
In October 2012, Matt was hit in the head while playing dodgeball in P.E. The incident left his right ear completely deaf for about a month.
“It was scary,” Matt said. “But when I was going through that head injury, my brother made it better.”
Matt says the brothers have always relied on one another through tough times, especially because they are always able to understand one another.
“It’s huge to have someone so close to you that you can talk about it with,” Matt said. “Although we never really talk [about the actual disability], we’ll crack jokes calling the other guy deaf,” Matt said. “You can talk to your parents, you can talk to your friends, you can talk to your doctor, but at the end of the day, it’s always nice to talk to a mirror and have that mirror say something back.”
And while the brothers agree there are difficulties with being limited in activities, both try and focus on being grateful for what they can do and hear.
“I appreciate what I [am able to] hear [at all],” Matt said. “I hear a bird? Sometimes, I just stop and listen to that bird. It’s a nice sound.”