Having a disability often means you have to live life a bit differently than the average person. Still, no one — and children especially — wants to feel like an "other," like they are being ostracized from their peers.
One mother’s desire for her daughter to be able to participate in Black girl traditions while wearing a cochlear implant hearing device helped her to get creative. Her efforts, ingenuity, and activism went viral and have now made national news.
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Tyanna Myers’ daughter wears a cochlear implant.
The mom's TikTok bio claims that she is in her “fly mom era.” Judging from her posts on Instagram, she’s passing along some of the flyness to her daughters through the creation of traditional and innovative Black girl hair styles.
Tyanna's daughter Lyric wears a cochlear implant. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the surgically implanted device uses electrodes to simulate the inner ear so a person may perceive sound. That’s the internal component. The external piece uses a microphone to pick up sound and a transmitter to send the sound to the internal device. That outside piece sits behind the ear.
For most people, that means the implant rests on top of their hair. Although some people shave their heads or brush their hair to the side to accommodate the implant, that’s not what Tyanna does for Lyric.
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Tyanna says she's teaching her daughter to embrace her beauty despite the challenges of her implants.
“Lyric loves to wear any hairstyle that she can shake and move, preferably a style with beads,” Tyanna explained. “By prioritizing her hair care, I'm instilling in her the importance of self-care and embracing unique beauty despite any challenges we may face with her hearing devices. It’s about ensuring that she feels confident and proud of her hair, just as I do.”
It may seem as simple as a mother doing her daughter’s hair, but it’s more than that. It’s about showing other mothers that you can maintain culture while using technology to live accessibly.
Tyanna shares Lyric's styles to encourage representation and to share the realities of implant living for Black families.
“With limited representation and resources tailored to our unique needs, Black mothers often find themselves navigating uncharted territory alone … However, in the same spirit that Black women have overcome obstacles, so did [my daughter Lyric and I],” Tyanna explained in her post.
In doing her own child’s hair, Tyanna is teaching other moms who have children who wear cochlear implants that they don’t have to sacrifice personal style to live with devices that make life more accessible.
Tyanna has found a community of people who can relate to her content.
For those wondering about whether Lyric’s styles are that important, Tyanna explains, “When the use of your medical device(s) is contingent upon the texture and style of your hair, I’d say it’s kind of a big deal … and for a lot of people/families.”
The mom has decided to take the challenge as an opportunity. In doing so, she’s showing other parents they are not alone, and the community is thankful.
“Love this!,” one mom wrote. “My daughter has implants too and having hairstyles that work with her 4c hair and processors is always a major thing, especially with her being active in sports.”
