A New World of Sound: How OU Health Helped Axel Hear for the First Time
During a routine pregnancy ultrasound, Dillon and Jazzlynn Noland of Lawton, Oklahoma, learned that their baby had a brain bleed. They were referred to the high-risk obstetrics team at Oklahoma Children’s OU Health, part of the University of Oklahoma’s academic health system, where an amniocentesis revealed the underlying cause to be congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV), a viral infection that can harm a baby’s developing brain and other organs before birth.
The Nolands understood that a cCMV diagnosis was serious, but at the time, they didn’t know what it might mean for their son. As they learned more, the potential complications came into sharper focus.
Understanding Congenital Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
Congenital CMV is one of the most common viral infections passed from mother to baby during pregnancy. For most adults, cCMV is no more serious than a mild cold. But if a woman contracts the virus for the first time while pregnant, it can cross the placenta and infect the developing baby.
The virus can cause a range of lifelong complications, including hearing loss, brain inflammation, vision and motor impairments, seizures, and developmental delays. CCMV is also one of the leading causes of childhood hearing loss in the United States.
A Complex Challenge for a Child
After his birth, Axel spent time in the Oklahoma Children’s OU Health neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where early hearing tests showed he could hear some sounds but not the full range. Over time, that hearing diminished further.
The brain bleed also affected other areas of Axel’s development. He was diagnosed with seizures, cerebral palsy, positional scoliosis, vision-processing challenges, and feeding difficulties that required a gastrostomy tube (G-tube). He experiences low muscle tone and delayed motor control, which affects his ability to sit or use sign language.
“The hearing loss was just one part of it,” Dillon said. “Everything we do now ties back to that virus and the brain bleed.”
Finding Hope in Sound
When Axel’s hearing aids were no longer effective, his OU Health team, including pediatric otolaryngologist Dr. Vikram Ramjee, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, and pediatric audiologist Dr. Natalie Dixon, AuD, CCC-A, recommended bilateral cochlear implant surgery to restore his access to sound.
“For children like Axel, implants open up their world in a completely different way,” Dr. Ramjee said.
Axel had bilateral cochlear implant surgery on June 18, 2025, when he was 3 years old. Placing bilateral ear implants takes five to six hours, requiring precise drilling behind the ear to access the middle ear space. Once placed, the implants are designed to last a lifetime.
“Dr. Ramjee made the process so easy to understand,” Dillon said. “He showed us everything, even the X-rays afterward, and kept us updated through the whole process. We could tell he truly cared.”
A New World of Sound
After a smooth recovery, the Nolands returned to OU Health for activation day. As the devices were turned on, Axel began to respond — first with curiosity, then with recognition.
“When they turned them on, he started looking around the room at all of us,” Dillon said. “He had never done that before. It was like he finally realized that sound meant people.”
That moment marked the beginning of a new chapter. With his implants, Axel began responding to his parents’ voices, engaging more with therapists, and showing stronger emotional reactions to familiar sounds.
“He’ll let us know when he’s tired or overstimulated and wants the sound turned off,” Dillon said. “But more often, he’s alert, interactive and curious. He’s hearing the world, and it’s helping him grow.”
Axel’s parents work closely with a wide range of OU Health specialists to ensure he receives every possible therapy and resource. He attends school, participates in outpatient therapy and uses an advanced communication device that allows him to select words through bioelectrical signals in his arm.
“Every little connection he makes feels like a victory,” Dillon said. “He’s starting to understand cause and effect, and that’s a huge step for him.”
The Power of a Multidisciplinary Team
Axel’s care extends far beyond audiology and ENT. Through OU Health’s multidisciplinary pediatric network, he receives comprehensive support from specialists in neurology, gastroenterology, audiology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and nutrition.
Every step of his treatment — from seizure management to cochlear implant mapping — is coordinated across departments, ensuring consistency and continuity of care.
“We offer every service you need in one place,” Dr. Ramjee said. “From audiology and imaging to surgery and follow-up, everything is done in-house. We’re the only center in Oklahoma where families can receive the entire cochlear implant process, from testing to activation, under one roof.”
That collaboration has been vital to Axel’s steady progress. With continued therapy, technology and the compassionate care of his OU Health team, Axel’s parents are seeing small but meaningful steps forward.
“Every time we go to OU Health, we know they care about Axel as much as we do,” Dillon said. “They’ve given him a chance to hear the world and given us hope for what’s next.”
Learn more about specialty services at Oklahoma Children’s, the state’s most comprehensive pediatric hospital and group of pediatric experts, as well as audiology and ear, nose and throat (ENT) services. For more information, call (405) 271-5437 (KIDS).
