JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Beckett Tweet is just like any other 12-year-old boy, except for one thing: he was born profoundly deaf. However, doctors were able to detect Beckett’s hearing issues early, giving him a cochlear implant at just one year old.
“The cochlear implant has improved my life so much,” the Fruit Cove Middle School student said with a big smile. “Without it, I would not be able to communicate with my peers the way I do.”
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
Now, Beckett can hear thanks to that implant, alongside countless hours of training to properly process the sounds around him.
Additionally, Beckett hasn’t had to go through his journey alone, as his dad, Aaron Tweet, was also born deaf. Aaron got his first cochlear implant at the same time as Beckett, hearing for the first time himself at 31 years old.
Read: BACK TO SCHOOL: Lake City Police Department is hiring school crossing guards
“Every day I would be turning the radio on and listening to it trying to catch all the words,” Aaron Tweet recounted. “Every once and a while I would let my family know ‘Is that what I’m hearing?’ and they’d say ‘ya,’ and I’d get really excited.”
Now, the two are embarking on another journey together, as Aaron also works as a maintenance worker at Fruit Cove Middle, Beckett’s school.
Read: Clay County Sheriff’s Office needs the community’s help in Wal-Mart theft
“With me working in the same building here and they get to know who I am and they understand more about that when he comes in,” explained Aaron Tweet.
Beckett is now looking forward to the first day of school in just a week, not nervous, but excited, due to all of the help and support of the school along the way.
Read: Recall alert: Birth control pills recalled; FDA says medication may be ‘ineffective’
“It’s been really, really special to have them help me through my whole journey,” Beckett said.
In a statement from Fruit Cove Middle School Principal Kelly Jacobson, she says Beckett and Aaron are two of the hardest working, most positive people she’s ever known. Principal Jacobson also says it’s been a thrill to be a part of their journey and for them to be a part of the Fruit Cove Middle School family.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
