Hometown: Plain City, OH
Age on Race Day: 18
Diagnosis: Bilateral Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Not long after Pragalya’s family moved to Ohio, her parents noticed she was not responding well to sounds. When she didn’t pass her newborn hearing screening, Pragalya was brought to Nationwide Children's Hospital where her journey began.
Upon being diagnosed with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, Pragalya’s parents and care team walked through several options and decided that cochlear implants would be the best solution.
“My parents still tell me how overwhelming it was to see my reaction when my cochlear implants were activated for the first time,” recalls Pragalya. “It was a moment of pure joy – they were in tears as I heard sound for the first time.”
Though her cochlear implants were activated and working, Pragalya had a long road ahead of her. As her parents began exposing her to speech, sound, and social interactions, she also visited Nationwide Children’s often for countless hours of audiology and speech therapy.
“I wasn’t always the easiest kid to manage in those sessions,” Pragalya remembers. “But over time, the progress came.
As Pragalya grew older, different challenges arose. Not only did she face the daunting task of navigating high school, but she also had to learn how to advocate for herself and classroom accommodations. Though difficult tasks, Pragalya thrived and found her passion. She started her own nonprofit in 2022, called Hear2Connect, dedicated to spreading awareness about hearing loss and empowering young audiences.
“I’ve found my purpose in turning my experiences into impact,” shares Pragalya.
