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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Tears as Rotherham girl says 'I love you' for first time | Tears as Rotherham girl says 'I love you' for first time |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A toddler from South Yorkshire moved her parents to tears with her first words after doctors restored her voice. | A toddler from South Yorkshire moved her parents to tears with her first words after doctors restored her voice. |
| Bronte Cassell was born premature at 25 weeks, weighing just 1lb 12oz, and had to have tubes fitted into her windpipe as she could not breathe on her own. | Bronte Cassell was born premature at 25 weeks, weighing just 1lb 12oz, and had to have tubes fitted into her windpipe as she could not breathe on her own. |
| Doctors removed the tubes when the two-year-old, from Rotherham, underwent a tracheostomy operation at Sheffield Children's Hospital. | Doctors removed the tubes when the two-year-old, from Rotherham, underwent a tracheostomy operation at Sheffield Children's Hospital. |
| Her father Martin said her first words - "I love you, Daddy" - blew him away. | |
| He said: "My wife said 'I love you too, Bronte' and she said 'I love you, Mummy'. | |
| "Me and my wife just looked at each other and that was great. There were floods of tears, tears of joy for a nice welcome change." | "Me and my wife just looked at each other and that was great. There were floods of tears, tears of joy for a nice welcome change." |
| Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live Drive, Mr Cassell said his daughter had previously communicated by mouthing words, using sign language and pointing at things. | |
| He said: "It was really frustrating. Frustrating for us as parents, but really frustrating for Bronte as well. | He said: "It was really frustrating. Frustrating for us as parents, but really frustrating for Bronte as well. |
| "You could see that she was getting frustrated when she was trying to speak. She could mouth words but no noise would come out of her mouth." | "You could see that she was getting frustrated when she was trying to speak. She could mouth words but no noise would come out of her mouth." |
| Mr Cassell said Bronte would still need check-ups at the hospital over the next few months but she had a "new sense of freedom" since the operation. | Mr Cassell said Bronte would still need check-ups at the hospital over the next few months but she had a "new sense of freedom" since the operation. |
| "She can learn to potty train, wash her hair without worrying about getting the tube wet and enjoy playing with her older brother Noah. | "She can learn to potty train, wash her hair without worrying about getting the tube wet and enjoy playing with her older brother Noah. |
| "They are just little things really in the grand scale of things but they will make a massive difference to her quality of life." | "They are just little things really in the grand scale of things but they will make a massive difference to her quality of life." |
| Neil Bateman, ear, nose and throat surgeon at Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust, said: "It was a pleasure to operate on Bronte and be able to give her this new lease of life. | Neil Bateman, ear, nose and throat surgeon at Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust, said: "It was a pleasure to operate on Bronte and be able to give her this new lease of life. |
| "It can be hard for families adapting to a tracheostomy but for Bronte it has helped her to get through a difficult period of her life and it's fantastic she's now enjoying what a lot of other children can take for granted." | "It can be hard for families adapting to a tracheostomy but for Bronte it has helped her to get through a difficult period of her life and it's fantastic she's now enjoying what a lot of other children can take for granted." |