Joanne Milne has not heard a single word, bird chirp or music note for 39 years. Four weeks ago, she got electronic cochlear implants. This is the exact moment when she hears for the first time and starts to cry overwhelmed by the feeling and emotion.
I don’t blame her! I felt overwhelmed and teared up just by watching it, but I can’t even begin to imagine her feelings.
According to the Birmingham Mail, Joanne has a rare condition called Usher Syndrome—a “rare genetic disorder that is associated with a mutation in any one of 10 genes resulting in a combination of hearing loss and visual impairment and is a leading cause of deaf blindness.” Joanne lost her sight in her mid-20s but, according to her mom, “she has been deaf since birth and had never heard sounds before this.”
These implants have allowed her to hear for the first time, which obviously is a huge improvement after losing her sight. The mom recorded the joyous moment as the doctors at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital switched the implants on.
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