OPENING UP ABOUT MY DEAF BROTHER 

Trent has chosen to keep his life more private. But today he opens up about his experience being hard of hearing and getting the cochlear implant. We were surprised to find out that once you get the cochlear implant it can take months and sometimes years to learn how to hear! But it is definitely worth the hard work if you want to do it. Trent loves his cochlear implants and this is his story! :) From now on I will make sure all of my videos have closed captions. It might take 24 hours or so to process after I upload, but I assure you that I am paying to have all of my videos captioned properly from now on. Thanks for watching!

I got choked up when he said that someone gave up trying to talk to him. He must have felt so sad, that person was a jerk. Shame on them.

When Trent said that people don’t repeat what they say because they don’t want to take the time to, that just made me cry. That’s so horrible and rude and Trent is so lovely, and it makes me feel so ashamed that people who are more so privileged feel better than others who are hard of hearing.

In the old videos Christopher sounds like Parker when he was a kid

Hey Colleen! You should show Trent the classic song by Danny DeVito that goes like this: DO NOT DIDDLE KIDS ITS NO GOOD DIDDLING KIDS I WOULDN'T DO IT WITH ANYBODY YOUNGER THAN MY DAUGHTER NO LITTLE KIDS, GOTTA BE BIG OLDER THAN MY WIFE, OLDER THAN MY DAUGHTER

Trent is so nice. People should not be rude to him and treat him like he is not a human.

Who else thought that when Collen was younger she looked like Bailey

Your brother sure likes to open up to other people too.

These comments about Trent aged like milk

As a medical student who has seen a whole bunch of people with conditions, I just want to say please just treat people with love and respect. It is not hard at all. No one chooses to be sick or different, so be kind. Always. I really loved this, Colleen.

Bailey looks similar to Colleen as a child , also thank u for sharing ur brother's story

When Trent was little he looked so much like Jacob Ballinger🤯

Christopher sounded and looked just like Parker, and Colleen looked like Bailey. Holy crap haha

What a sweet man. It is rude when people get frustrated with people hard of hearing. But I hope he knows that person is probably feeling bad of themselves and it has next to nothing to do with him. But people really should take at least a few moments to get over themselves.

As a fella who is profoundly deaf with two cochlear implants - its really lovely that you are spreading deaf awareness 😊 means a lot to the deaf community!

“Please ignore the sound of the dogs killing each other.” Lol 😂

justice for ollie and all the other kids he messaged inappropriately.

I just want to give him a massive hug

I cried when Trent said people have walked away from him instead of trying to help him. Muh heart 💔

beware of uncle Trent

it's crazy how much chris's kids look exactly like colleen and her siblings look when they were younger. like some 3d printing. genetics is crazy.

your brother is literally the cutest.

I wish ASL and sign language in general was more widely taught. People should at least know the alphabet. Implants are not an option for everyone.

bombastic side eye.

*Chris Hansen voice* “Why don’t you take a seat right over there?”

I wish he liked being on camera because he seems so cool 😭

I'm deaf with a cochlear implant too, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate that you will be captioning your videos! I feel like I miss out on so many good videos because youtube massacres captioning when a person talks fast or when multiple people are talking. I love that Trent talked about his experiences in your video, and hope to see more of him in the future! :)

Tell him to stop talking to minors 😀👏

I was crying watching this video because its so rude how people dont see him as a normal person and think that they can just say anything and that they don't have feeling because they cant hear but good on you for keep going on with your life and just putting it behind you

Trent seems so kind. He is super inspiring and this was very educational for me. Specifically the “speak clear, not loud”. Thanks for doing this video, Trent! Also, cool shirt.

when i had a fanpage for colleen on twitter, i tweeted trent and said “i love youu!” and he responded multiple times. we literally had a conversation and hes soo sweet. i literally love him with all my heart.

side eye

Revisiting this, and I'm realizing how much Trent looks like Christopher!

I almost cried when he said that sometimes people just walk away😭 like wtf, that's heart-breaking and fricking messed up😪😥

Trent seems so sweet and a humble person!!! I personally have a sister that is deaf, has epilepsy, autism, and more! And a brother as well! But if you think about it, there differences make them who they are!!!

It’s so insane how much Chris and Jess’ kids look so much like Trent and Chris when they were younger! Wow those are some strong family genes 😍

I am hard of hearing myself (70% deaf both ears). I just found this video and it made my day. Thank you so much for educating people about HOH/deaf people. And a huge thanks to your brother for being so open and sharing his story and showing that us HOH/deaf people are just as awesome as everyone else!

how could people dislike this.. this is beautiful

wow this had me sobbing.. i feel so so heartbroken that people “give up” on trying to converse with people like Trent. this world isn’t patient enough to get to know such sweethearts like Trent that just so happen to be hard of hearing. thank you for sharing his story, it was so nice meeting him and seeing how awesome he really is:D

hindsight is 2023 🤭

I’m studying to be an audiologist and talking about the deaf community and individuals who are hard of hearing is SO important! You love your brother so much, thank you for sharing his story!

Colleen and trent are so kind to each other it’s so sweet Nothing like me and my siblings

I ADORE that you are providing proper closed captioning for the hard of hearing. I’m not hard of hearing but I use the closed captioning late at night when my baby is sleeping so I don’t have to wear headphones or wake her up. So although the CC is mainly for the hard of hearing, it’s used by many. 💙

OMG your dad drawing cartoons of you and Trent together to keep the memories/stories is the coolest thing ever!!!! I wish I could do that for the children in my life. He should do a business where people tell him funny stories of their kids and give him pictures of them and then he does a little animation. That is the coolest!!

i love coming back and watching older vids like this. trent is such an incredible human, so easy to see how kind and caring he is

Oh my gosh I'm deaf too! ❤ But 100% deaf on both ears, I got implants when I was 3 and doctors said that my parent should be happy if I can say something, but I can speak 3 languages fluently ❤

As an audiologist specializing in cochlear implants I am extremely moved by this video. Thank you for spreading awareness on this topic. Your brothers speech is amazing and I can only assume the team he worked with throughout his lifetime were amazing as well. So happy to give people the gift of hearing like your brother. This is why I do it

I can’t believe I just saw this video! Trent is amazing and it was a pleasure to “meet” him! It made me cry to hear how rude people are to him! Not sure why people think that’s ok. It was great to hear your story Trent!

did Trent apoIogize regarding the 13yearoId whom he texted all those inappropriate things?

My mom, dad, brothers and sisters are deaf. I am the only hearing child in my family. My twin brothers Oskar and Oliver are profoundly deaf, my big brother Carson has cochlear implants. My twin sisters are both severely deaf and are mute. My other 2 sisters are also mute. I have one more adopted brother who is a mute. My mom is profoundly deaf and my dad is also mute. When they found out I wasn’t deaf they were really confused. After 7 deaf children, they were shocked! I choose not to speak when I’m home. I don’t have friends over because it can intimidate my siblings, and it can frustrate my parents. No-one really understands what I’m going through, at home. I have another new baby sister, she’s in the process of her hearing tests. My mom is sure that she is hearing, so that is good for me. I know how he’s your brother and you obviously have to care for him but the way you treat him is so sweet! Go Trent, you’re awesome!

My son has speach delay and it is so rude when people don't take the time to hear what he saying . Thank you for this .

I knew something was off about him (no, not his deafness, the way colleen talks about him, “he wants to keep his privacy” idk just seems sus

my sister was deaf when she was younger, she can hear now as she had her grommets fitted. i really appreciate this video. people do ignore her as she does have a speech defect but i’m glad you have just made this video to show people what it’s like. ily colleen! 💞

Aww trent Trent says "welcome the beautiful ballerina colleen ballinger!"

There's a couple that come into my restaurant a couple times a month. The rest of my co-workers get pissed off with them and have me server them. I love serving this couple. They point to what they want and write down like "no tomato's" or any special request they have. I once looked up "how is your food" and "have a great day" to sign to them. They smiled so much cause they were happy a hearing person was willing to take the time and communicate with them in their own language. She even helped me fix the words that I had messed up. And (not that it was the reason I did it) she gave me a tip double the check amount. She wrote "thank you for trying, it makes me feel so welcome. You're a good person". Im starting asl courses at community college next semester and couldn't be more excited

My father has cochlear implants and deals with many of the same issues as well. Thank you for caring not only about your dear brother, but everyone else with hearing loss 💝

This video made me so emotional. It was amazing hearing him tell his story and seeing those videos of you all as kids. It broke my heart hearing about how some people walk away from him and get frustrated. There’s a slim chance you or him will ever see this. But Trent is amazing. He seems like such a sweet caring intelligent amazing human being and I hope you both know how much we love seeing him in your videos! He’s truly amazing and his speech is amazing too! This is one of my favourite videos you’ve ever made. We love you Trent

I can see that shane dawsons' formatting is really inspiring a lot of people to do stuff like him and I think youtube is at it's peak right now. I've never enjoyed it more.

Trent is so sweet and kind. I’m glad that his hearing has gotten a little better.

This breaks my heart that he gets treated differently. Seems like such a sweet man!

ugh it’s 2 years later and i still love watching this video, it makes me cry because the amount of love they give him it’s just so cool to see a family with that much love for each other.

Your brother seems like a person i would love to be around

Trent is so sweet.

Trent makes me happy he is soo positive

he is the most adorable and kindest person i’ve ever seen🥺...this is like my 5th time watching this i just love him so mucho

Trent is so cool!

Awww! Trent is awesome! We love you Trent!!

My best friend is deaf in one ear and never remembers to wear her hearing aid, and some of our funniest moments are me having a full conversation on the side of her deaf ear and her yelling WHAT!? And then dying of laughter, thanks for talking about this Colleen!

Colleen is so kind and understanding. I love watching her have deep and meaningful conversations with people because she is so respectful and compassionate💕 Not to mention how beautiful she is🥰

Omg i love the videos of when u guys were small.

I’m 13 and I’m losing my hearing and I really appreciate this video for speaking out. And I really appreciate that u r getting closed captions and for letting a person in the asl community speak for themselves and letting Trent speak his story. I love you and thank you.

i literally love trent he’s so sweet. i’m so glad he decided to open up🥺

oh Colleen... this has made me choked... your an amazing sister and never put yourself down... everyone can see how loving you are just by your tearful eyes... when people are disabled they deserve so much more then people give them... my late mum had MS and she had hardly any help at all... your brother is a gem just cos Trent cant hear doesnt make him any less then us who can.. people need to fight for people like Trent and do something for their rights... xx

I cant believe how much Bailey looks like young Colleen

That book your dad made is incredible his such a great artists. Trent is inspirational. I hope to see more of him in the future if he feels comfortable with it🙂. He has such a warm and friendly personality. He was a joy to watch.

My husband is hard of hearing, and I wear glasses. When we first started dating we spent a lot of time in the car, and I was usually unfamiliar with the areas we were driving in. He had to give me directions and we would laugh because it sounded something like this: Him: Turn right up there Me: At the light? Him: What? Me: At the light? Turn at the light? Him: No before the light, right up here... Me: Where? Him: What?? You missed the turn...

“ and the beautiful ballerina colleen ballenger!” - little christopher

He seems like such a sweet person.

Colleen looks exactly like Bailey when she was little and Trent looks like Jacob/Parker as when he was little.

Trent is the absolute cutest. I love the footage you included of you guys playing together as kids! All of us who love you and your family absolutely respect Trent leading a more private life. Thank him for telling us his story! What a sweetheart!

What a sweetheart. How can someone be rude to him? What a lovely guy, god bless you Trent

I actually cried when I watched his. Trent is so nice, and kind and listening to what has happened to him is so rude and disrespectful! I also love your bond with your brother it’s really sibling goals.

I LOVE HOW HE HAS THE MARIO SONGS ON HIS PHONE!!! I love Trent sm!❤️

Just watching this video now and I was so glad to hear Trents story, I just started watching yours and your siblings videos about two years ago and absolutely love them, but I have wondered about Trent. I always love learning more about people’s experiences. I’m actually taking a sign language class next semester and am super excited! I’m an architecture major but have always been interested and wanted to learn more about sign and the deaf community. Thankyou for sharing Trent!!

I want to thank Trent for doing the video. I also want him to know that he seems so sweet and genuine. I really enjoy his personality. Really wishing he had a channel too. Even if just to talk about his day, just life stuff. I would totally watch it just cuz he seems like such genuine and kind man.

I work in fast food and yesterday I had two different deaf people come in and they were able to order by either writing their order down or pointing at things. When they were done ordering they would say thank you in sign language, and it made me upset that I didn't know how to say "you're welcome" or "have a nice day." After seeing this video I'm definitely going to make an effort to at least learn some basic signs so I can better communicate with people that are hard of hearing.

I dated a boy who was deaf who had cochlear implants, he was a great bloke! Taught me never to judge a book by there cover😊

I love Trent also tell him I sign say hi!

Protect Trent at all costs. His story is truly inspiring and so Incredibly sweet. He is the sweetest person and I’m so glad that he is sharing his story

Oh my god, Trent looks so much alike like Jacob! And Colleen looks so much like Bailey! 😱

your content recently has been so inspiring and just different. i’m loving it❤️

I absolutely loved this video, Trent seems like a lovely guy. I couldn’t help but cry halfway through ther video because I have clinical depression and one of the most basic things I’m beginning to learn is gratitude. And I realised that I have the gift of hearing, the gift of sight whereas others don’t and I’ve taken it for granted but now I am truly grateful to have these gifts and it’s liifted my mood up so much I can’t remember the lat time I was this happy. And I cried. So thank you Trent for teaching me the value of gratitude.

Everytime I watch this I cry hearing about how people are rude and will just walk away. I’ve always loved asl and learning about different communities whether regarding ethnicity or disability. Thank you so much for sharing this video I love showing it to people and sharing the perspective and educating.

Colleen Ballinger Hi I’m Hannah, I was born deaf an I have cochlear implants just like Trent some times it’s hard to deal with them because most people do t know about them, thank you for sharing this to explain to everybody about cochlear implants.❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Colleen i had no idea about this and I’ve been following you for a while. Both my parents are profoundly deaf and I really enjoyed watching this video. Thank you so much for making it and raising awareness of deafness as an invisible disability. I made a video on what it’s like growing up with deaf parents which you might enjoy watching - just another aspect of the deaf community that people should be aware of. This video actually made m cry because I could really relate and understand Trent when he said people give up on him or are rude. It happens a lot to my parents and it breaks my heart. Much love ♥️♥️♥️

I love Trent so much nothing has ever stopped him kept your positive attitude ❤😊

Oh Trent is DEFINITELY a Ballinger. I can't explain it, he just has that amazing personality and kindness. Please keep us updated on his hearing progress! X

Baby Colleen is literally Bailey but in the late 80s

You looked like Bailey when you were younger Love you Trent (and you Colleen) Love his T-shirt

I’m a year late but who cares. One of my best friends, Willow, is deaf. She’s teaching me and another friend sign so we can talk to each other. But she has like a hearing aide and mic thing that each teacher can wear (wear the mic) so she can hear. Our school started an ASL (American Sign Language) club so more people can learn sign. Our school is becoming extremely accepting of deaf, blind, and mute kids. It’s amazing seeing this story and knowing my friends story and it’s just awesome seeing so many more things about deaf people! (and blind and mute and more!)