All but silent most of her life, meet the 21 year old who has finally found her voice

“Mary got her first communication aid 10 years ago, but we had problem after problem and it just never seemed to work,” says her mother Sarah. “Conversation was nonexistent and I know it was incredibly frustrating for Mary. We all did our best, but even when we were giving her two or three options - they were our suggestions of what she might like.”

The family, from Dewsbury, assumed this was how life would be, but since enrolling at Henshaws Specialist College in Harrogate last year they have witnessed a remarkable transformation.

“Mary has found her voice. It’s just incredible,” says Sarah, who works as a nurse. “Henshaws is dedicated to students who are blind and partially sighted which is why we were so keen for her to go there and honestly it’s been life changing.

“For the first time Mary has been working with language therapists who are real experts in their field and a whole word of communication has opened up.”

Mary’s voice communication aid is similar to that used by Stephen Hawking, but the technology has been adapted to work for those with sight loss.

“It is still early days and she is only just beginning to construct actual sentences, but the change has been extraordinary,” says Mary. “She is now able to tell us when she wants a drink, when she is hungry and most important of all she can now use it to turn the television up.

“What we have learnt is that Mary is very good at ordering people about and she would run her carers ragged if they let her! However, after so many years of being silent I guess she is entitled to tell us what she really wants for once.

“Mary is now so much more confident, she even took part in the Christmas play and when she goes to choir practice she can choose the music she wants to hear. We have always told people that Mary fully understands everything they say, but to hear her voice and see the look on people’s faces when she answers or asks them something is amazing.”

It’s a transformation which has also been noticed by the staff at Henshaws.

“Mary will tell us how she is feeling and can even talk about her weekend,” says Heather Whorley, speech and language therapist. “If she is not able to find the word on her communication aid she will ask for help. Now she has mastered simple commands, we are looking at exploring a large language set to give Mary access to a greater range of words which she can draw on for fuller conversations.

“She also has a new wheelchair, which not only means she is more comfortable, but she can also use her head to access her communication switches. We are really proud of her progress so far, but we know that there is much more to come.”

As long as the family can prove that she is developing at Henshaws she will be able to secure funding until the age of 25. However, the college already has one eye on the future and as well as intensive language therapy sessions, Mary is also learning vital skills which could see her fulfil her ambition to become an Avon representative.

“Henshaws encouraged her to try out various career options, but she has always loved make-up and so Avon seemed like a really good fit,” says Sarah. “Now everything she does at Henshaws is geared towards that, from learning to pick up small objects to adding up the cost of an order.

“I think it’s incredibly important that Mary has something to aim for. Because of the way the funding works there is a real danger that at the age of 25 she could be cut loose from the safety and security of spending every day at college without knowing what to do next.

“Even if the Avon position doesn’t work out I now know that she will have learnt vital skills that mean she will be able to do something useful, something that will give her a sense of purpose.

“Mary does suffer from anxiety. She doesn’t like it when her routine changes unexpectedly and even though she follows the same timetable week in, week out, she likes to be told what she is doing each day.

“I think part of that is the fact she wants to feel in control of her life and I hope that now she can tell people exactly what she thinks it will help her feel less anxious about the future.”

Mary celebrated her 21st birthday with a trip to Center Parcs where she spent most of her time in the hot tub, but the last 12 months has also seen a more adventurous landmark with the completion of the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award.

“We are due to go down to London later this year for the presentation ceremony which will be really special,” says Sarah. “Taking part in the DofE scheme has really taken her out of her comfort zone.

“At home she sleeps on a special mattress and we have hoists to move her around more easily, but she went off to France and camped on a tent, sleeping on a blow up bed. Most 21 year olds would think nothing of it, but for Mary that alone was a huge achievement.