Cochlear Corp. replaces children’s hearing devices stolen with van

Monday, Jan. 3, 2005 | 9:44 a.m.

The Misso children are hearing again.

Matthew, 6, and his sister, Kailey, 4, received replacement cochlear hearing devices in the mail last week after the originals were lost when the family's van was stolen before Christmas.

The devices, valued at $6,000 each, were sent by the Cochlear Corp. in Colorado and configured to the children's implants before being forwarded to the family.

"Because it was so close to Christmas (when) we heard the story, we jumped right on it," said Cochlear Customer Service Manager Maeve Brown. She said the company was contacted by a local man assisting the family.

Before the implants arrived, a bank account in the family's name had received more than a dozen donations. One prominent local businessman offered to anonymously buy the implants himself if it took that to get the children hearing again.

The mother of the children, Suzie Misso of Henderson, said she was grateful for all of the assistance and offers of help.

"We're very, very happy," she said. "We've come out pretty darn good."