Celebrate the gift of sound with the CSO May 29 at Comer Children's Hospital

May 14, 2008

Two members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra will present a special performance in the lobby of the University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital on Thursday, May 29, at 3:30 p.m. The event, sponsored by the Comer Development Board, will also feature tours of the state-of-the-art pediatric hospital and highlight the cochlear implant program.

The pediatric cochlear implant program at the Comer Children's Hospital has the tools to bring clear spoken language and enjoyable musical sounds to the deaf child's silent world. A safe, proven medical treatment, cochlear implants transmit sound beyond the non-functioning portion of the ear, enabling the child to hear in a natural-like way.

Dana Suskind, MD, director of the pediatric cochlear implant program at the University of Chicago Medical Center, is excited about the event. "We've been able to give the gift of sound to a number of children through our program," she said. "Bringing diverse people together to enjoy wonderful music in such an amazing space as Comer Children's Hospital is a great way to celebrate that gift."

A cochlear implant is a safe, FDA-approved medical device that transmits sound past the non-functioning hair cells of the ear, enabling deaf children to hear electronically. The internal portion--the implant--is positioned in the cochlea of the ear. The external portion--the processor--is positioned close to the child's outer ear. The processor picks up sounds with microphones and sends them to the implant, which stimulates the hearing nerve directly.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is a musical force in Chicago and around the world. The CSO's talented musicians perform classical music before national and international audiences. This performance will feature CSO musicians Qing Hou, violin, and Larry Neuman, viola.

For more information or to make a reservation for the event, please contact Gail Vijuk at gvijuk@peds.bsd.uchicago.edu or 773-834-4095.