The day after Gabriel Al Saylami was born, he failed his newborn hearing screening. That was a little over a year ago.

He was almost completely unable to hear, meaning learning how to read, write or speak was going to be almost impossible.

WATCH: FDA lowers infant cochlear implant age as infants across Tampa Bay area receive care

"So from the beginning, it really felt like he was missing out on something, and we've really tried to not think of it that way cause that's not true," Courtney Joseph said.

After trying hearing aids for a few months, his parents, Courtney Joseph and Elia Al Saylami, made the decision for Gabe to get cochlear implants at 13 months old.

Now, just two months later, Gabe and his parents have hit the ground running.

"Like once the emotions died down, and we were

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