First thing deaf man hears after cochlear implant is proposal

After a freak illness left him deaf for more than six months, the first thing this man heard was the sound of his boyfriend proposing.

During a family trip to San Francisco in February, Hayward Duresseau, 37, began to suddenly feel extremely fatigued – and just over 48 hours later he would no longer be able to see, hear or even walk.

Exhibiting symptoms of undetected bacterial meningitis, Hayward was rushed to the hospital by boyfriend, Kerry Kennedy, 27, where he’d stay for the next three weeks.

Regaining his sight after two weeks and the ability to walk after three months, Hayward was told the damage to his hearing would likely be permanent – and he struggled to come to terms with the idea of never hearing his partner’s voice again.

However, six months later, after being successfully fitted with a cochlear implant – an electronic device that restores function to the inner ear – the 37-year-old’s hearing returned, and that wasn’t the only surprise awaiting him.

As the once-muted mumblings were replaced with a clear and vivid cascade of sound, the first thing Hayward would hear in more than half a year was Kerry asking him: “Will you marry me?”

Replying with a tearful “yes” at the ACI Hearing and Balance Hospital in Lafayette, Los Angeles, the couple embraced before Hayward exclaimed, “I’m so happy to hear your voice.”

Hayward, who has been with Kerry for three years, said: “On Valentine’s Day, I was walking down the stairs and thought it was strange that I couldn’t see through the lenses of my glasses”.

“[The next day] I woke up unable to see anything, just big blobs of colour – by the time I got to the ER Kerry had to carry me because I could barely walk.

“My diagnosis was a hard one to accept. I was diagnosed with meningitis and I have no clue how I contracted it.

“The doctors gave me hope that my hearing might come back, but the more research I did the more I realised it was permanent.

“I fought long and hard to communicate with Kerry. It was extremely hard as I felt like such a burden.”

Kerry has been caring for Hayward full-time since the illness struck.

“I didn’t have time to think about my reactions to the situation,” Kerry said. “Hayward needed my help and that’s all I could think about.

“Communication was difficult, but we had friends teaching us sign language, so we got by.

“I was thinking about proposing way before he got sick. He fell ill on Valentine’s Day and that night we spoke about getting married one day.”

Hayward, who is currently unemployed as he continues to undergo extensive treatment to fully restore his mobility, said he was shocked by the unexpected proposal.

“Once I knew everything about the implants, I was so excited to talk to Kerry again.

“I thought of all the questions I would ask him just to hear his voice.

“I was completely shocked [by the proposal], I couldn’t hold back my emotions – my tears came from a joyful place.

“This whole issue has caused us to grow stronger in our relationship together.”

With the help of the implant, the couple is now able to have spoken conversations again – an achievement that Kerry now appreciates more than ever.

“Hayward is my best friend and I love him with every part of me. We’re very excited for our future together,” he said.