2 Sisters Get Cochlear Implants on Same Day (Exclusive) [Video]

When Leah Salzberg was 2 ½, her parents Matthew and Jessica started worrying about her speech — “or lack thereof,” Jessica says.

Until then, Leah had been a typical kid in Surfside, Fla., says her mom, an education specialist.

When her speech development plateaued, the Salzbergs tried speech therapy, but the twice-a-week sessions were frustrating and disappointing.

Leah’s parents also noticed that when she walked a few feet in front of them and they called her name, she didn’t respond. “We started to worry,” Jessica, 33, recalls.

About halfway through the school year, Leah’s preschool teacher asked Matthew and Jessica if Leah’s hearing had been checked recently. “I find Leah is looking at my mouth,” the teacher said. “And if she’s across the classroom, she’s not responding.”

Leah was taken to an ear, nose, and throat doctor who said her ears were full of fluid and suggested getting tubes to …