For years, Sean Marrero thought his hearing was normal. Even when his husband complained that he set the television volume too high, Marrero, now 49, chalked it up to normal age-related changes.
That was until six years ago, when Marrero failed a hearing test for his job as a motor coach and party bus driver. He went on to use hearing aids for four years, but eventually, they weren’t enough.
“My aunt had gotten a cochlear implant and said it changed her life,” Marrero says. “She and my husband inspired me to look into that option.”