Theft victim gets new hearing device programmed

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Two months ago Action News brought you the story of a local girl who had her world flipped upside down when she became the victim of theft.

Bailey Matney, then a Buchanan High School Senior, had her Cochlear hearing device stolen out of her car near the Fresno State campus.

Matney, who will be starting classes at Fresno State as a freshman in just a few weeks, had her new Nucleus 6 Cochlear processor programmed Thursday afternoon at Valley Children's Hospital.

Matney's family raised enough money to cover the cost of the device within days of telling her story. It costs nearly $10,000 and is lighter, smaller, and has the most up-to-date technology from Cochlear.

"I get to hear very well, I get to communicate with other people, and it'll help me to focus on school make good grades, work hard," Matney said.

The new device also features smart sound technology, which allows for automatic adjustment to different kinds of sounds and speech.