Our son Thomas was born on 16th September 2016; he was pretty sick. After a difficult time and the miraculous work of NHS staff at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, Thomas made it home largely unscathed. Unfortunately his difficult start left him suffering from auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder, a neurological deficiency resulting in deafness. 

The likelihood of Thomas being able to fully understand speech and speak himself is somewhat unknown due to the complexity of his particular condition. However, his prospects are improved by the innovative techniques employed by Auditory Verbal UK, a charity based in the South of England where we take Thomas for regular therapy sessions. The technique encourages children to use what limited hearing they have to comprehend sound and access speech. Remarkably, eighty per cent of 4 year olds who graduate from the AVUK therapy program have speech, at least on a par with hearing children of the same age. 

The service is not offered on the NHS and is extremely expensive due to the specialist nature of the brilliant therapists who carry out this work. AVUK however ensure that those unable to pay still have the opportunity to benefit by using means tested fees and massively supplemented support for the least well off families. This requires extensive fund raising to give hope to all parents who just dearly want their kids to hear and to speak; to be like any other child.

Please please please give generously. I am not a natural runner and, in truth, loathe exercise. It’s going to hurt! Achieving my fund raising target would really ease the aches and pains.

Thank you all so so much for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Sam

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