Katie, from Towcester, Northamptonshire, was born six weeks prematurely, which caused her to develop severe hearing problems.
Katie tells her story...
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She had hearing aids from the age of five and grommets when she was eight, but these devices only increased the ear infections. In all Katie had 16 operations to try to improve her hearing.
Then, when Katie was 14 years old, doctors at Northampton General Hospital recommended she should have bi-lateral Baha implants.
Katie said that one of the first things she noticed about her Baha was hearing the trees rustling and cars going by. Now 15 years old, Katie is happier and more confident, her speech has improved and she enjoys listening to her i-pod. Katy attends mainstream school and is enjoying catching up at school, which is important in her GCSE year. When asked what she thinks about her bi-lateral Baha, Katie said: “It’s the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
