Social and lively teenager Cindy Redmond’s life was forever changed when her friend’s stepfather blew an air horn directly in her face.
14 years old Cindy never expected to suffer from permanent, excruciating pain in her ears after her friend’s stepfather blasted an air horn in her face because she was taking a phone call at the dinner table.
Cindy was allegedly seated at the table at her friend’s house, and at the time she answered the call, they were waiting for the food to be served.
The stepfather was supposedly annoyed that Cindy was still talking on the phone, which made him blow an air horn in her face. According to the teenager, the incident led to a disturbing pop in her head and crippling pain that never died down.
An air horn can produce 130 decibels or more, which is loud enough to cause ear damage. That’s when Cindy’s life was changed forever…thanks to the painful permanent damage that resulted.
“It felt like a giant pop in my head and ears, and from then on my ears hurt like someone was stabbing me or I’m getting burned,” Cindy said, according to the Daily Mail.
The next day, Cindy, of Delaware, said she felt strange while in class. Cindy then went home sick after her teacher’s voice seemed too loud.
Cindy said that she suffers from hyperacusis, which is a rare hearing disorder that causes constant pressure and pain. A sound like clinking ice cubes “feels like someone is stabbing me in my ears,” she told the magazine in December.
Hyperacusis is due to neurological or inner ear damage which is not curable. Everyday noise such as dog barking, sirens blaring, baby crying or people shouting that seems normal results in a burning and stabbing pain that takes days to recover from.
Cindy now has to stay in quiet isolation at her home, where she is home-schooled, according to the Mail.
According to Opposing Views:
Surprisingly, Laurine, Cindy’s mother said she decided on taking no legal action. Some of Cindy’s friends also think she is pretending. Laurine said she has decided to forgive instead and take the day a step at a time.
This simply pointed out that kids can be forgetful, break rules or even act rude sometimes and it is the adult’s responsibility to correct and remember that punishment should start with a discussion. This situation would have been averted if the man simply told her to put down her phone or tell her she won’t be welcomed in the house again if she can’t obey simple dining rules.
Cindy’s condition took a toll on her way of living. Since then, she has been forced to isolate herself at home and stay in a quiet room. She has since been home-schooled, missing family gatherings, and she might never experience going to concerts or parties without a cure. Getting a job seems impossible so far as well.
In addition, if Cindy is exposed to prolonged noise, it takes mostly two days for her to recover.
Laurine expressed her worries that her daughter might not have a normal life since a cure is yet to be invented.
Not much is known about Hyperacusis. Up to this day, it is still considered a poorly studied condition.
Watch the video below for more details:
Sources: OpposingViews, Today/Youtube, Daily Mail