Cork tot granted gift of hearing

A three-year-old boy from Cork heard his brothers and parents yesterday for the first time.

Calum Geary, who was born without any hearing nerves in his ears, is now able to hear thanks to a special hearing device which he had fitted in a Manchester hospital.

He is facing further tests in the coming days to make sure it's working properly.

The electrodes in Calum’s new "bionic ear" were tested while he was unconscious at the University of Manchester Hospital in England on Wednesday to check what stimulus responses resulted.

But yesterday, with his family by his side, specialists put the little Ballyhooly native’s new device to the test while he was awake.

Audiologists confirmed that he reacted in a way which proved he was finally hearing.

As well as the test sounds used, Calum’s parents Andrew and Helen, twin brother Donnacha, and brothers Barry, 8, and Matthew, 6, were also able to let him hear their voices.

"It was a big highlight," said Mr Geary. "He got to hear his parents and his brothers for the first time today."

The results of the tests were not perfect as they showed some of the 21 electrodes are stimulating non-hearing parts of the brain when they are turned on, affecting his gag reflex or making him cough.

However, any sound at all is a major breakthrough.

If the implant works as intended, it will pave the way for Calum to travel to the US for specialist audio-verbal therapy later in the year.

Read more about Calum in the Irish Examiner