Sonova and its brands provide leading hearing technology for its customers.

Upgrade story 3/3: Meet Ernesto Casillas, 2x Emmy Award Winning Makeup Artist and AB recipient who shares his story on upgrading to Marvel. Watch the full video to hear his experience with the Remote App features and benefits following his upgrade. To learn more about upgrades, head over to: https://www.advancedbionics.com/us/en/home/contact-us/1/upgrade-opportunities *Ernesto is an AB user who has received compensation from Advanced Bionics to provide this information. Each person’s situation is unique so your experience may not be the same.

I’m Anna Blair Sarsfield. But my friends call me AB! My bilateral severe hearing loss was diagnosed at 15 months old, and I was immediately fit with hearing aids and began Auditory-Verbal Therapy. When my hearing continued to deteriorate, I received my first cochlear implant at age four as soon as I became a candidate, and then went bilateral at age eight. My parents chose AB for me after extensive research and decided that AB offered the advanced technology that would provide the richest, fullest, and most natural sound possible for me. My CIs helped me develop excellent listening, and clear spoken language skills, enabling me to attend mainstream gifted classes in school and then graduate magna cum laude from the University of Georgia. (Go Dawgs!) I moved to New York City after graduation to pursue my professional dance career. Dancing since age two, I am extremely grateful for the rich sound quality AB provides allowing me not only to hear the intricacies of music, but dance to it as well. My continued opportunities to train with and have Broadway dance legends and Radio City Rockettes as instructors and mentors would be impossible without my CIs. AB gave me the ability to pursue my dreams! Outside the dance studio, you’ll find me investing in other passions, including producing content as a corporate Marketing and Social Media Director and advocating for those with CIs by speaking at numerous events to educate others about cochlear implants. I am so thankful for the incredible impact Advanced Bionics has had on my life. My CIs have removed the limitations of my hearing loss and unlocked a life full of connection, opportunity, unlimited potential, and beautiful relationships with friends and family along the way. Much love for AB, from AB!♥️ @anna.blair Photographer: @jontaylorphoto Find more stories from people with cochlear implants: https://www.advancedbionics.com #ABCommunity