The news is often tragic and depressing, but here’s an amazing story we can all get behind: a 4-month-old baby with severe deafness is now able to hear thanks to hearing aids, and the beautiful moment she heard her parents’ voices for the first time was caught on camera.
😍When our daughter’s new hearing aids are turned on in the morning 😍#happybaby @NDCS_UK @BDA_Deaf @NHSMillion pic.twitter.com/59GZSMgp5D
— Paul Addison (@addisonjrp) December 5, 2019
- Georgina has always had hearing issues. Paul Addison, Georgina’s dad, recalled discovering his daughter’s hearing difficulties early on, when she failed her newborn hearing test during a routine appointment in their hometown of Harrogate, England. After being referred to an audiologist, Georgina was diagnosed with severe deafness and it was suggested that she be fitted with hearing aids – and that’s exactly what happened.
- She was fitted with the hearing aids roughly five weeks ago. Her parents wanted to capture the moment that their daughter was first able to pick up sound, especially the sound of their voices, so they brought along a camera and later shared the footage on Twitter.
- Georgina’s response was amazing. As Addison told CNN, “It was a relief, we saw quite quickly that they were working well. A real sense that things could get better.” It’s clear from Georgina’s little coo that she was quite surprised but also excited by being able to hear finally.
- Sharing Georgina’s story has been a fantastic decision. Addison said he was so glad that he and his wife decided to share Georgina’s story with the world, as they received so many messages of support and also thanks from families who had gone through or were going through something similar. Addison encouraged people to speak out and seek support from others in the same situation as it can make all the difference. “Engage with those sorts of people, it’s such a huge comfort,” he said.
- Georgina has a whole new world ahead of her now. Now that her hearing has been restored, she can take in so much more of the world around her, which is a really special gift. Isn’t medicine amazing?
