Cindy’s life was changed forever after the Delaware girl made a mistake many teens are guilty of committing. While sitting at the dinner table at her friend’s house, Cindy pulled out her cell phone. The food hadn’t come out yet, and the girl had gotten a call, so she decided to answer it.
Unfortunately for her, her friend’s stepfather was none too pleased to see her using the phone at the table, so he decided to do something about it. Never imagining that his form of “punishment” would do anything more than frighten the teen girl, the annoyed and over-zealous dad attempted to discipline Cindy by blowing an air horn in her face.
Cindy’s entire life was changed in that instant when she says she felt a pop in her head and began to experience excruciating pain. Sadly, it didn’t get better. After four days of experiencing pain, Cindy was in the emergency room because she couldn’t bear the sound of the outside world anymore.
Eventually, she was diagnosed with a very rare disorder called hyperacusis, a condition that is believed to be due to neurological or inner ear damage. The condition is painful and debilitating, and there is no cure.
Everyday noises, which would be nothing more than a mild annoyance to most people, cause a burning, stabbing pain in those with hyperacusis. So, common noises like babies crying, sirens blaring, dogs barking, or people shouting leave Cindy in debilitating pain, forcing her into quiet isolation to avoid the agony associated with loud noise.
Of course, this has had a negative impact on Cindy’s life in so many ways. “For her 14th birthday, she wanted to go to the aquarium. Twenty minutes in, she was sobbing from the pain,” her mother Laurie recalled. What’s more, the condition has forced Cindy to withdraw from school, completely changing her life.
Now her parents will take legal action against the man who did this to their daughter. It won’t change anything regarding her situation, but they hope he will get what he deserves.
