Ian Michael Smith on his cochlear implant

Carl Fink, who has a knack for finding and forwarding interesting stories about hearing, deafness and cochlear implants to me, sent me a link to this great interview Roger Ebert did with the remarkable Ian Michael Smith, a former actor (he starred in Simon Birch) and currently an MIT student, just after Smith's cochlear implant was activated. At 3'2" tall, Smith is a very impressive guy, and that's no joke.

What makes the interview all that much more interesting is that when it occurred, Birch could barely hear and Ebert couldn't speak (he had a post-surgical trachea tube inserted at the time of the interview); they IM'd (instant-messaged) each other on two laptops, essentially conducting a face to face interview electronically. Just another example of how technology is changing the lives of people with disabilities.

There is also an update to this interview; Ebert has posted a note from Smith's father about Smith's progress, which is apparently remarkable! I liked the comment about his father being unaware that Ian was listening to music on his iPod and simultaneously holding a conversation with him. Ian Michael Smith chose the same model CI that I did, and can plug his iPod directly into his implant, as I can; and you can hear music in your head that no-one else ever can, while also simultaneously hearing the world through your external mic. It's amazing.

So, for an actor who made his mark on film in a fictional feel-good story, here's to his genuine feel-good story in real life. He is overcoming some significant challenges to pursue his goals with a great attitude.

Thanks to Carl for pointing it out.

ronnie