For eleven long years, Aissam lived in a world of complete silence, born with a rare form of deafness that seemed impossible to fix until groundbreaking science opened a door that no one thought could be opened. As the first person in the United States to receive an experimental gene therapy for congenital deafness, Aissam was stepping into uncharted territory with no guarantee of success. The treatment involved carefully introducing healthy genes into his inner ear, essentially rewiring the biological pathways that had never worked properly since birth.
Today, Aissam can hear birds singing outside his window, the laughter of friends, and most precious of all, the sound of his father’s voice saying his name. What was once profound deafness has transformed into mild-to-moderate hearing loss, giving him access to a world he had only imagined through vibrations and visual cues. When doctors ask him about his favorite sounds, his answer is simple and joyful: “I like it all, I like it all the time.” The success of his treatment has opened the door for other children and families, proving that sometimes the most impossible dreams can become reality through the power of medical innovation and hope.