The Roberts Family

Listen Foundation has an annual fundraising campaign each year called the Non-Event that has been going strong since 1994. Its popularity centers around supporting this amazing program in the comfort of one’s own home…no new dress….no babysitter….no rubber chicken…..no lengthy speeches. What’s not to love??!!

For 2022 the Non-Event celebrated the the experiences of the Roberts family, who has two generations of experience and success with cochlear implants and Listen and Spoken Language (LSL) therapy. The family is an essential part of the therapy process and their efforts will ultimately change a child’s life opportunities.

Please enjoy this story and then make a donation to help Listen Foundation create our future success stories! Our goal is to ensure that no child is ever turned away from this extraordinary program.

Dear Friends,

Our family (Ashley, Ian, and Henry Roberts) couldn’t be happier to share our story with you as a multi-generational cochlear implant family who have benefited immensely from the generosity of the Listen Foundation, the state of Colorado, incredible clinicians and therapists, and our support system of family and friends. Helping babies and young children learn to listen is truly a community effort, and we sincerely thank you for your contributions to this worthy cause impacting the lives and worlds of children with hearing loss.

Our son Henry is now a year old, and he was diagnosed with hearing loss as a newborn. When Henry was two months old, he was outfitted with hearing aids and started early intervention services. Earlier this year (2022), Henry received bilateral cochlear implants earlier when he was nine months old – the same age his mom Ashley was first diagnosed with hearing loss as a baby (his dad Ian has normal hearing). As Henry enters toddlerhood, he is responding beautifully to his wide world of sound and language, lighting up when his devices are turned on, learning to talk, and developing on track with his peers.

This year (2022) also marks the 30th anniversary of Ashley herself receiving a cochlear implant at age three. Ashley was one of the first young children in the country at that point to receive a cochlear implant (the old-school internal Nucleus 22 implant, for those familiar – which she still has today!), and her world opened even more with increased access to sound. She thrived with the help of auditory-verbal therapy, sign language, speech therapy, and family/community support.Her family lived overseas in Africa and Europe for over a decade, and she learned how to be independent while navigating different languages, accents, and cultures before returning stateside for her undergraduate and master’s degrees. Ashley has been able to build a fulfilling career as a healthcare technology marketing executive, lead teams, work remotely, and provide strategic consulting services without relying on significant accommodations.

Although Henry’s hearing loss took us by surprise because our family does not have a history of hearing loss prior to Ashley’s diagnosis, we have found ourselves in a unique position to support Henry and advocate for hearing loss and listening and spoken language worldwide because of our deep familiarity with hearing loss. Ashley’s parents (Henry’s grandparents, who have normal hearing) are able to tap into their own experience raising a child with hearing loss and navigating the very early days of cochlear implants. We are fortunate that our extended family has an understanding of what goes into helping little ones with hearing loss learn to listen, and you can find our multi-generational insights, stories, and advocacy on social media and a website dedicated to Henry via his nickname, Hankster (Instagram @HanksterHears and hanksterhears.com).

We are very grateful to the critical early intervention therapy support and resources provided by the Listen Foundation and for Henry to have the opportunity to receive cochlear implants at such a young age.

We invite you to show your support by sending a check or donating online at listenfoundation.org. Thank you in advance – any amount, big or small, makes a difference.

With gratitude,

Ashley, Ian, and Henry Roberts

“We are very grateful to the critical early intervention therapy support and resources provided by the state of Colorado and groups like the Listen Foundation – and for Henry to have the opportunity to receive bilateral cochlear implants at such a young age.”

–Ashley Roberts

Meet the Roberts Family
Ian, Ashley, & Henry

A typical family with one exception – both Ashley and Henry were born with severe to profound hearing loss and theirs is a multi- generational cochlear implant family.

It began with Ashley’s parents taking a leap into the unknown 30 years ago so Ashley could have more access to sound. At that time there were no success stories to reference as they made their decision for their three-year-old to receive a cochlear implant.

For Henry, he was able to get his implants well before his first birthday this year and is responding beautifully to his wide world of sound and language.

By third grade, Ashley was able to transition from sign language interpreters to just relying on listening and spoken language in school.

For Henry, receiving listening and spoken language therapy at this early age means learning spoken language right along with his hearing peers and it’s expected that he will not require additional services when he reaches school age.

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Children with hearing loss can live their lives Without Limits

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Help us fulfill our mission of getting more Colorado children listening and talking. Your contribution is used primarily to fund Listening and Spoken Language Therapy from our amazing network of therapists, helping children desperatly in need across the state.