The first thing a gay man heard after
regaining his hearing was a marriage proposal from his boyfriend.
According to BuzzFeed News, Hayward
Duresseau, 27, and Kerry Kennedy, 37, were on a vacation in San
Francisco visiting family when Duresseau contracted bacterial
meningitis. He lost his vision and hearing, and became paralyzed
from the waist down. He recovered his sight and mobility, but
permanently lost his hearing.
“I could see everything that was
going on – I could communicate, but the world couldn't communicate
back with me,” Duresseau
said.
After returning home from the hospital,
the couple learned sign language to communicate.
“He would place the 'I love you' sign
on my leg or my back, and that's when I knew I could go to sleep,”
Duresseau said.
Duresseau was approved to receive a
cochlear implant. The device is not turned on until after the
patient has recovered from the surgery.
When the implant was turned on – and
Duresseau's hearing was restored – the first thing Duresseau heard
was his boyfriend's proposal.
“I was in shock,” Duresseau said.
“I can hear Kerry, and the first thing that comes out of his mouth
– it's this big spiel about what we've been through and he's down
on one knee.”
A video of the proposal has gone viral.
The couple, together over three years,
are planning to marry during Mardi Gras.