Boy with cochlear implants shares sweet smile after hearing parents for 1st time

By GMA Team

An Australian mom recently shared a sweet video of her son hearing for the first time after receiving cochlear implants.

In a Facebook video post, Tessa McKenna's son Nate can be seen reacting as his cochlear implants are adjusted, breaking out into a sweet smile as he hears his mother and father speak to him for the first time after the procedure.

"Hi Nate, can you hear mum?" McKenna asks her son before adding a jingle.

Tessa McKenna via Storyful

Tessa McKenna shared a video clip of her son Nate reacting to hearing her voice for the first time after receiving cochlear implants.

When Nate hears his mom's voice, he turns and grins while reaching for her hand and giving it a kiss.

McKenna described Nate as "so resilient, strong and brave" and explained in her post that Nate's hearing had deteriorated last year to the point where hearing aids were no longer helpful for him, leading them to make the decision to move forward with cochlear implants.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cochlear implants work by sending sound signals directly to the hearing nerve instead of making sounds louder like a hearing aid.

McKenna, who also shared the video with Storyful, wrote that she and her husband Ty McKenna are "so proud" of their 3-year-old, who is "never missing a beat" and remains "his cheeky, fun loving self."