Skip to main content

Home News News World

Man proposes to boyfriend as soon as he regained his hearing after having cochlear implants fitted

Hayway Duresseau spent six months recovering after battling with bacterial meningitis

By Steve Brown

A man proposed to his boyfriend as soon as his partner regained his hearing after having cochlear implants fitted.

Kerry Kennedy and his now-fiancé Hayward Duresseau faced a series of turbulent months after Duresseau lost his hearing after battling with bacterial meningitis – which if undetected can cause sepsis, paralysis, sight and hearing loss.

During a five-day trip to San Francisco, Duresseau started feeling tired and had a lingering headache and after going to hospital, he was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis.

The 27 year old lost his sight, hearing and became paralysed from the waist down. Over the months, he recovered his sight and mobility but struggled to communicate.

He quickly learned American sign language so they could communicate and told Buzzfeed: “I could see everything that was going on – I could communicate, but the world couldn’t communicate back with me.

“He would place the ‘I love you’ sign on my leg or on my back, and that’s when I knew I could go to sleep.”

Over the six month road to recovery, Kennedy realised he wanted to spend the rest of his life with his partner.

As soon as doctors used the cochlear implants, Kennedy got down on one knee and asked the question.

He said: “It’s been a long journey to get to this point. So, will you marry me?”

Watch the proposal below: