COOS BAY, Ore. - A Reedsport teen who lost the ability to hear out of one ear is given the gift of sound, thanks to to medical professionals who donated their services free of charge to make it happen.

For the first time in over a year, Tonni Willis is hearing sounds she hasn't heard in a long time.

Last summer, Tonni suddenly lost her ability to hear out of her left ear.

"I was just sitting at home watching t.v. and my ear just plugged up and I couldn't hear, " says Tonni.

Her hearing loss affected her participation in everything from classroom discussions to playing for her school's basketball team.

At first her mother Diana thought it would clear up on it's own, but when her hearing didn't return, she took action.

"We had a hearing test done and found out she really couldn't hear out of her left ear. We went to Doernbecker's Hospital in Portland. They ran a bunch of tests but all they could come up with was that she had permanent nerve damage in her ear."

With no health insurance and little options, they weren't sure where to turn next.

Enter Dr. Wallace Webster, a specialist who heard about Tonni's condition and wanted to help, offering up his services free of charge.

"Her condition is called single-sided deafness and we don't know the exact cause, "says Webster.

Dr. Webster performed surgery on Tonni in August, placing a small titanium rod implant on the side of her skull behind her left ear.

The implant becomes integrated in the bone, as the bone grows around the rod.

Part of the implant sticks up through the skin, and after about 90 days, a hearing device can be connected to it.

On Friday, Tonni was fitted for the device, also known as BAHA, or Bone Anchoring Hearing Aid.

"We're trying to trick the brain, it picks up sound through the device and then transfers it to her good ear, restoring it on that side, " says audiologist Jennifer Scarbrough.

Tonni's hearing device is supposed to last up to five years before it will need to be replaced.