Sudbury family video shows why 'life's worth hearing'

The Connolly family of Sudbury hopes to win a contest to help pay for a trip to a conference in Orlando, Fla., so their two deaf children can meet other kids who wear cochlear implants.

Naomi, 12, and17-month-old Finn are deaf and both have cochlear implants. In their peer groups, they are the only ones who wear the devices.

"Basically she cannot hear an airplane taking off beside her if she doesn't have herimplants in," said their mother Julie Connolly.

She said her son "could probably appreciate an airplane beside him, but he wouldnever be able to hear with your ordinary hearing aid."

The Connollys, who also have three other children, plan to attend the Cochlear Celebration conference in mid-February. It will include education sessions for parents on the technology.

Meeting other children with implants is especially important for Naomi now that she is getting older, said Connolly.

"She's more self-conscious these days about that as apre-teen."

TheConnollysare hoping to wina contest to help pay for the trip and have created a video thatpeople can vote for online: