Bluetooth headsets -- the little wireless telephone gadgets -- are all the rage these days, even more so now that some sort of hands free device is required by law in order to use a cellphone while driving in California. At first, advocates for the deaf thought the fad was a good thing because it would make kids with cochlear implants stand out less.

The implants consist of two parts -- an internal, surgically implanted receiver and an external unit with a microphone, computer, and transmitter. Unfortunately, there is a downside to the bluetooth craze -- the units get stolen right off of people's heads. While it must suck to have a $50 or $100 cellphone accessory stolen, having a $6,000 device that lets a kid hear stolen is downright terrible.

But that's what has happened to three-year-old Jose Franco -- twice. Jose was only two when he received his cochlear implant and the device has helped him learn to speak (he's even bilingual) and sing. One day, while shopping at a grocery store, someone snatched the external unit from his head and took off with it. His mother, Hilda Giron, left him with a cashier and chased the thieves. She didn't catch the boys, but she did find the earpiece in the parking lot, still intact.

Last week, however, two teenagers grabbed the headset while Jose and his mother were having lunch at McDonald's. This time, the crooks got away. Luckily, Jose has a backup unit, but his family will be responsible for replacing the lost device. It's bad enough to take away someone's bicycle or iPod or even their computer, but to take away a child's hearing is a special kind of horrible. Hopefully, the thieves will realize that what they stole is of no use to anyone but little Jose and return it.