We are delighted to hear that little Emily Small has been fitted with her bionic ear!
Evie and her family appeared via Featureworld last month after their plight to find enough money to pay for the operation was championed by the SUNDAY MIRROR newspaper.
Evie was born profoundly deaf – unlike many deaf people because she was born with no nerves in her ear, she has no hearing at all. Her only chance of having any hearing at all was to have a bionic ear fitted – but this meant brain surgery as it is plugged directly into the brain responsible for hearing (rather than the ear structure). And because getting this in the UK would mean a long wait – and a bionic ear works better the younger a child is when it is put in – the family decided to go abroad.
Making the decision to have this surgery was a huge decision for the family – so we are so relieved that little Evie has come through it without any ill effects.
Dad David tells me: “We wanted you to know that evie had her op last Monday. It went very well and she is getting stronger every day. They hope to switch on the abi in about 3 weeks.
I am sure Emily will be in contact upon her return but we wanted you to know as you were so kind and helpful to us as a family.”
You can follow the family’s progress and contribute to their fund by going to their blog: Hope for Hearing.
Meanwhile, you can read the feature in the Sunday Mirror here: Just weeks to save Evie’s hearing.