Leia Armitage hears mum and dad sing Happy Birthday for first time

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-33303355

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A girl celebrating her fourth birthday heard her parents sing Happy Birthday for the first time after becoming one of the youngest people in the UK to have "revolutionary" hearing surgery.

Leia Armitage was born with a rare form of deafness, missing her cochlea and auditory nerve in both ears.

The youngster, from Dagenham, had an implant two years ago but it has taken time for her brain to adapt.

St Thomas' Hospital confirmed that the implant surgery was a success.

Katherine Wilson, lead audiological scientist at the central London hospital, said: "We've monitored Leia's progress over the past 24 months and at each stage we've been thrilled at the success she has made.

"At this crucial two-year mark, we're confident that Leia's brain has adapted to the device to gain the optimum benefits. She's hearing all types of sounds and is now starting to form her own speech."

A team of hearing experts from Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and King's College Hospital, came together to perform Leia's pioneering Auditory Brainstem Implant procedure at King's College Hospital in 2013.

Her dad Bob Armitage, 42, a union rep at Royal Mail, said: "Leia can now hear us calling her from other rooms and we spend hours watching her dance and sing along to her favourite Disney films.

"We're so excited to sing Happy Birthday to her, it's going to be a special day for the whole family."

Professor Dan Jiang, one of three surgeons involved in the operation, said: "The procedure is revolutionary for children with no auditory nerve, it is their only chance of ever accessing sound."