The Consequences of a Misdiagnosis: Grzegorz’s Journey to His Cochlear Implant

My name is Grzegorz Plonka, I’m 33 years old and from Poland. My biggest passion in life is music, especially playing the piano and the organ. I play classical music and compose my own songs. I also love photography and recording videos for my music.

How I Got Misdiagnosed With Autism

My hearing journey started at my birth. I was born prematurely with a congenital disorder that caused profound sensorineural hearing loss. My parents didn’t know about my hearing loss, and I was misdiagnosed as autistic and mentally disabled. As I couldn’t hear consonants, I didn’t speak at all. I was able to hear simple sounds like vowels, so I started playing the piano and experimenting with sounds.

I began to rebel when I discovered that my younger brother went to a different school that offered different subjects. I was in a school for children with mental disabilities and wanted to know the reason why.

Finding Out the Truth

For seven years, I lived in an environment for mentally disabled people. It was the only center for people with disabilities in the area, far away from clinics. Even though access to such places was very difficult, we managed to get to the Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing in Kajetany thanks to my persistence and the determination of my parents and friends. At that moment, a new stage of my life began.

The Diagnosis That Changed My Life

A proper diagnosis made it possible to verify my status. It was not until I was 14 that tests at the Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing revealed profound hearing loss.

First, I got a hearing aid, and at 19, I finally got a cochlear implant. Only then did I start to speak, but it was too late for me to master grammar, because I started my proper education at the age of 14, and only completed elementary school level. It’s hard for me to use language properly, especially in writing since I was not able to hear during such an important stage of my life.

How Music Led Me to a Cochlear Implant

My love for music made me decide to get a cochlear implant. I really wanted to go to music school but wasn’t accepted because I couldn’t hear high-pitched sounds. So I decided that something needed to change. I knew that a cochlear implant would allow me to hear the missing octaves.

I have one implant and a hearing aid in my other ear. I use a SONNET 2 audio processor, which works with a hearing aid and an assistive listening system.

No Restrictions With My Cochlear Implant

As I live far away from my clinic, I decided to do rehabilitation on my own by playing the piano. After only five months of daily practice, I was able to reach the peak of my implant’s capabilities.

SONATA: A Film About My Hearing Journey

The film SONATA shows my struggle for a decent life. It was a struggle against the system, against limitations, and for my dreams.

SONATA is a cry for tolerance for otherness. The film was very well received by people with hearing loss. I have been invited to screenings organized for these communities, and those meetings have always ended in long conversations.

My Mission in Life

As the protagonist of SONATA, I see it as my mission to sensitize parents of young children to the signals their children send, so that they can read them correctly and react quickly to disturbing behavior. I want to address parents and teachers with my dream of letting children develop their passions. Watch them closely and let your children guide you. They can tell you a lot without speaking. Such attentiveness can help spot a child’s problem in time and proper diagnosis can save a child’s chance of a happy life.

The advice that I would like to give others with hearing loss is to always look for ways to improve communication with people. It makes life more comfortable and enjoyable.

Thank you, Grzegorz!