East Coast Earthquake...Cures a Man of His Deafness?

This week's infamous East Coast earthquake wasn't deadly, but it will likely be costly. Between the damage sustained to buildings, monuments and the like and the monies needed to ensure structural safety, there will certainly be a small economic impact. But, amid the negative news has come a bizarrely uplifting tale.

Apparently, Robert Valderzak lost his hearing on Father's Day after he fell. The 75-year-old has been in the hospital since the incident. Unfortunately, damage from the fall led to what doctors call "conductive loss," essentially meaning that fluid or problems with the bone structures in his ears has led to some serious communicative issues. This combined with nerve loss made has essentially made it impossible for Valderzak to hear or speak. MyFoxDC.com has more:

Valderzak used a special speaker phone with a light on it that flashed when it was ringing and an audio device system to communicate. But on Tuesday, something strange happened while his four children were visiting and that massive earthquake rocked the region.

After the earthquake ended, Valderzak -- who had been silent for months -- sat up in his hospital bed and said, "...my hearing is back I can hear everything..." The force of the earthquake caused his bed to shake and something subsequently happened inside of his head. This shaking essentially "fixed" whatever issue had occurred after his fall, enabling the man to hear and talk again.

Dr. Ross Fletcher, Chief of Staff at the Virginia Medical Center, says the following about the incident:

"Some people seem to be a little frightened by it, but he is delighted that this earthquake came along because soon after the event, he could hear everything in the room very clearly. I think there is still some hearing loss if I test him informally. We do have the ability to look into audiograms and do it more formally."

While some may attempt to dismiss the incident as luck or chance, Valderzak is clear in explaining how it came about. He says, "To me, it was a miracle, a blessing from God up above. Couldn’t ask for a better day."

A miracle, indeed.

(h/t Gawker)