War Vet Receives His Hearing Back

Dr. Oliver Adunka, an ENT surgeon at UNC Health Care, was able to get Dac Carpenter into a clinical trial that installed a sound bridge in one ear. That allows Dac to hear just like he did before he was injured.

Dac Carpenter of Jackonsville, N.C. was blown up 7 times while on multiple deployments with the U.S. Marine Corps. He sustained many debilitating injuries, not the least of which was losing his hearing. Hearing aids were an unsatisfactory option which left Dac unable to socialize, making readjustment to civilian life near impossible.

Through a new use of an existing technology, Dr. Oliver Adunka, an ENT surgeon at UNC Health Care, was able to get Dac into a clinical trial that installed a sound bridge in one ear. This new use of an existing technology allows Dac to hear just like he did before he was injured. When he heard his newborn daughter giggle for the first time, he cried. Connecting with his wife and spending time with their friends is much easier now, making his adjustment to civilian life all the better.

Dac still suffers from posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, but with his hearing back, recovery is eased. The trial that allowed him to get the sound bridge is closed, but they're waiting for the FDA to approve the procedure so he can have his other ear done as well.