The Community Link Foundation was delighted to be able to assist a grant request from Imelda Sankson who was seeking support towards costs for her son’s treatment.
Imelda told Community link Foundation “Theo is our beautiful blue eyed baby boy and everyday for the last 8 months I have told him how much I love him and he smiles back at me and I know he loves me too but he doesn’t hear me as he is completely deaf. We have known since Theo was a week old that he was profoundly deaf and with the added complication of his deafness being classified as auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder aka ANSD (a rare and unusual deafness). We were distraught on hearing this news but we hoped he would be eligible for a cochlear implant after we discovered hearing aids weren’t working for him. Unfortunately we were then advised that an implant would not be possible. Then we heard of an Auditory Brainstem Implant AKA a bionic Ear and this is Theo’s only hope for sound, otherwise it’s a life of complete silence. If it sounds scary it’s because it is! There are only a handful of specialist surgeons worldwide who are able to implant a tiny device into the actual brainstem where hearing is processed. An ABI will at a minimum give him Environmental Noises but with lots of therapy and hardwork maybe even speech.
Imelda continued “We have set up to try and raise the £100,000 required the give Theo hope for sound and anyone wishing to get involved please visit the website
http://www.theoshope4sound.org
Community Link Foundation chairperson David Barron said “When we first saw this application the trustees were moved by the passion with which Imelda was pursuing her goal of providing this life changing treatment for Theo, she continues daily to reach her target and the small help that we can give will hopefully encourage others to help too.”
