North Bay hockey player with hearing difficulties inspires others

Nathaniel Breuer, 11, of North Bay has never allowed his hearing challenges to stop him from playing the game he loves.

Nathaniel Breuer, 11, is like any typical young Canadian kid: he has a deep love of hockey.

“I can play with my friends and I love to make new friends every day,” Nathaniel said.

“It’s very exciting when I play hockey. I love to have the cool air on my face.”

You wouldn’t notice it, but Nathaniel has hearing challenges.

When he was just a year and a half old, he was diagnosed with hearing loss and started using hearing aids.

When he was seven, he received cochlear implants, with the surgery completed at Toronto’s SickKids Hospital.

Nathaniel recalls being a little nervous, but when he woke up post-surgery, it was that moment he will never forget.

“It just made me happy to hear again -- and hear more clear,” he said.

He’s been on skates since he was four years old and currently plays for the U13 Fairbarn Electric house league team.

Nathaniel’s family is always in the stands encouraging him to play hard without letting his disability hold him back.

His mom, Kayla Breuer, said the surgery marked a significant turning point in her son’s life.

While the transition was challenging at times, she always made it her priority to treat Nathaniel like any other child, encouraging him to pursue what he loves without letting his disability hold him back.

“He works hard in everything that he does. I’m proud of the young gentleman that he’s become,” Breuer said.

“He’s got a goal in mind and that’s to try his hardest, play the best he can. He loves being on the team.”

To ensure his safety on the ice, one of his coaches wears a Bluetooth microphone that connects to his implants and allows him to hear instructions clearly from the bench.

“I call it the transponder. There’s a power button here,” assistant coach and trainer Allie Fairbarn said, pointing to the microphone.

“When it’s purple, that means it’s on pause. So, when I’m speaking, it’s not going to his hearing devices. If I were to turn the button on, it goes green. That means it is then communicating with him.”

Breuer said the microphone reduces environmental sounds around Nathaniel.

“He can hear the speaker directly from the ice,” she added.

Nathaniel said feels an immense amount of pride knowing that he can be an inspiration for other young hockey players with disabilities.

“I’m happy that other kids are going to hear about me,” he said.

“It’s going to help them know that they can be good at hockey.”

After all, as Nathaniel puts it, hockey is for everyone.