Family works to make hearing aids accessible for kids

CYPRESS, TX (KTRK) -- A Cypress-area family shared a priceless moment this week: their three-month-old son heard their voices for the first time thanks to the help of infant hearing aids.

Cody Ford has a long road ahead of him, but his new hearing aids are a big deal. His family is taking the fight from their temporary digs at Texas Children's in Katy to Austin to make sure these are accessible for him as he gets older, and for every hearing impaired kid in Texas.

His family posted video of him getting his new ears on their website. They were all decked out in Mickey Mouse gear for the big moment, which brought his parents to tears.

"I got to tell my baby I loved him for the first time," said Sarah Ford. "There's nothing like seeing their face light up whenever you say, 'I love you.'"

Cody has a condition that causes his pancreas to pump too much insulin, so his blood sugar stays low. He has a monitor that sends his parents alerts every five minutes. He also has digestive issues, and newborn hearing tests revealed he has severe hearing loss.

"We went to the Center for Hearing and Speech because they have a program called Jumpstart to Listening. It's a really great program and it allows children to have hearing aids for a short-term basis."

Essentially, the program rents out the hearing aids, which can run anywhere from $2,000 to $7,000 and are not covered by insurance. Texas is one of approximately 30 states that doesn't require insurance companies to cover hearing aids for kids.

Cody's family started CodysCrusade.com to spread the word about his story and drum up support for legislation working its way through Austin that would make it a requirement for insurance companies to cover hearing aids for children under 18.

While they keep fighting, their focus is on Cody and enjoying him as much as he now enjoys their voices.

Click here to make donation to a GoFundMe campaign to offset the cost of Cody's medical treatment.