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Parenting is a tough job. And it's even tougher when your child is born with an unexpected medical condition.

Cameron was born two years and a half ago with CHARGE, a syndrome involving a specific set of midline birth defects which can affect a child's vision, hearing, feeding, balance and developmental abilities. Then when Cameron was nine months old, his parents found out that he was also deaf.

Already juggling appointments, tests and therapies associated with CHARGE, the news overwhelmed Cameron's parents Rebecca and Linden. After looking at other programs for children with hearing loss, Cameron's parents chose PIP (Parent-Infant Program) at Hearing, Speech and Deafness Center, a United Way of King County grantee. There they found the comprehensive support they needed for their second child.

PIP offers families a variety of services that addresses the needs of the whole family. While Cameron's parents are in American Sign Language class, Cameron is in a structured playgroup to help prepare him for preschool and big brother Nathan is learning ASL in the siblings playgroup. In addition to group activities, the program also provides home visits and individual counseling services. Cameron's occupational therapist, deaf educator, audiologist and speech therapist are all part of the PIP program which gives him many opportunities to show the progress he's making. They communicate with each other regularly about Cameron's development. "We are surrounded by support," Rebecca says. She and Linden are also learning about Deaf culture, how to read to a child with hearing loss and how to communicate more visually.

Like all mothers, Rebecca hopes to give Cameron the tools he needs to reach his fullest potential. And it appears that Cameron is on the right path. "He is communicating! He is learning new signs every week, so many now that we've lost count. Linden and I are so grateful for this program because it serves our entire family," says Rebecca.

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