Just days after 1-year-old Eli qualified for the procedure to get a cochlear implant, the coronavirus pandemic shut down elective surgeries.
Luckily, Eli did not have to wait long to hear for the first time, thanks to the doctors at Sarasota Memorial Hospital.
Eli also made history as the youngest patient to receive a cochlear implant at SMH.
Heartwarming video captured the moment Eli heard his mother's voice for the first time. He smiled as she said, "I love you" and laughed.
"I don't think it's something I'll ever forget," mom Nancy Urzua-Alba said. "This is the beginning of another journey, so we're really excited."
- President Trump issues executive order banning 'transactions' with TikTok, WeChat owners
- Gov. DeWine tests negative for COVID-19 just hours after rapid test turned up positive
- Another 7,650 COVID-19 cases added to total in Florida
- NOAA says 'extremely active' hurricane season more likely, updates forecast
- New York Attorney General sues to dissolve the NRA
FREE 10 TAMPA BAY APP:
►Stay In the Know! Sign up now for the Brightside Blend Newsletter