I have spoken in the past about how much as a family we are in awe of Graeme Clark.
A man who himself admits to the fact that he never imagined his life’s work would bring such change to people’s lives across the Globe.
Last month we had the honour, and it certainly was nothing short of an honour, to meet this Genius. As 2012 is the 30th Anniversary of the 1st commercial Cochlear Implant, Prof. Clark has been catching up with some of his fans throughout the year. I am sure that most of those he has met could actually thank him themselves for the incredible technology that allows them to hear and master speech. Young Harry is not quite at that stage and will have to rely on us recounting the story to him as he grows.
The story goes a little bit like this:
It was a sunny morning in Melbourne and the girls were taking the morning off school. They were asked to dress in their finest attire, something suitable for meeting a Gentleman.
The Professor works out of Melbourne University these days but told us he had close ties with Wollongong University where he studied as a young man.
The meeting was brief but very enlightening. Here is a man who has dedicated his working life to transforming the lives of others. If you haven’t read his book “Sounds from Silence” I highly recommend it. The Professor talked to us about the emergence of Nano Technology in the Bionic Field. This seems to be the future for Cochlear Implants, bringing about high definition sound through more electrodes in a smaller array. He mentioned how the current sound really isn’t as good as they want it to be and how he hopes the users can one day enjoy all the complex sounds that music offers.
He also spoke of how challenging working at the forefront of ground breaking research can be, as it often takes more funding than is available. Donations to his Foundation help with this.
We have some lovely photos of the morning and some memories to treasure. The impact the CI’s have had on our family is so entrenched that any connection with this world is a significant event.
Harry's Ears 