A Scotland rugby star’s seven-year-old daughter has been able to hear wind and birds properly for the first time thanks to hearing aids.
Glasgow Warriors prop Zander Fagerson’s daughter Iona was fitted with new hearing aids earlier this year.
His wife, Yasmine Fagerson, said it has transformed Iona’s life.
“The moment she walked outside the hospital for the first time with her hearing aids in, she asked: ‘Is that my footsteps?’. It was really emotional for me and Zander,” Ms Fagerson said.
“She said she could hear the wind and birds for the first time properly, which was amazing.”
As Iona’s speech has improved and her confidence has grown, the Fagerson family is now speaking out to raise awareness about the importance of hearing tests for young children.
“We think it’s important to raise awareness around the wider issue and the importance of getting hearing aids if you need them as we’ve seen the benefit,” Ms Fagerson said.
“You get glasses to help you see so why wouldn’t you get hearing aids to help you hear?”
She said Iona has struggled with hearing issues since she was young but doctors said the likely cause was a common condition known as glue ear.
Following growing concerns over her hearing and speech, the family turned to audiology group The Hearing Clinic UK’s clinic near their home in Glasgow where it was confirmed that Iona had mild to moderate hearing loss.
It was advised that Iona should wear hearing aids in both ears.
The seven-year-old was referred to the NHS audiology service for further assessments and had the hearing aids put in just weeks later at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.
“It’s been transformational for Iona wearing hearing aids. The impact was immediate,” Yasmine said.
“It’s been a long journey to get here. Her hearing wasn’t great, her speech was behind and her attention span wasn’t the same as other children, but doctors assured us it was simply glue ear and may flare up from time to time and not to worry about it.”
She added: “Whenever we took her to watch Zander play rugby, she’d find it too loud, so something wasn’t right.
“I’m just so pleased we managed to get it resolved as it’s made such a difference to her life.”
Ms Fagerson said her daughter has hugely grown in confidence since being given the hearing aids in April.
“Iona is such a confident girl, and her speech is so much better now,” she said.
“Teachers said she was so polite but was ignoring instructions previously. They now recognise that was all because of her hearing issues.”
She said her daughter has been “so excited” to show her new hearing aids off to her friends at school, and she has accessories for the devices as well.
Mr Fagerson said: “I have a deep voice so (Iona) was struggling to hear me at times previously, but it’s so much better now.
“Her confidence in her speech is night and day and seeing her with her friends now is amazing.”
He added: “We’d recommend anyone who has similar concerns about their child’s hearing to get it checked out, as it’s made such a difference.”
Recent statistics suggest approximately 50,000 children in the UK have hearing loss, according to The Hearing Clinic UK.
Left untreated, Dominique Stone, senior audiologist at The Hearing Clinic UK, said it can “significantly” impact a child’s development and educational outcomes.
“Hearing loss in children is common,” he said.
“Early identification and the right support are key to finding the best outcome for your child.”
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