Deaf wife's joy as bionic ear lets her hear again

Gillian Crouch, from Bradford, says her world has been transformed after receiving a cochlear implant which has allowed her to hear her husband John's words once again.

Mrs Crouch, 56, wore a single hearing aid but two years ago her hearing started to deteriorate in her other ear.

"I woke up one morning and my hearing had gone. It was very sudden and very frightening," she said.

After being assessed she was referred to hearing specialist Chris Raine, at The Yorkshire Cochlear Implant Service (YCIS), in July 2008.

Then in January last year Mrs Crouch received the implant and with the support of her husband and the staff at the YCIS, based in The Listening for Life Centre at Bradford Royal Infirmary, she has slowly learnt how to use it effectively.

Mrs Crouch, who was unable to hear any speech sounds even with the very best hearing aids, wanted a cochlear implant so she could hear speech again and communicate with her family.

"I will never forget the moment it was switched on. I heard this voice and I said to the audiologist, 'what's that?' Then I realised it was my own voice and I just burst into tears," she said.

A cochlear implant turns sounds into electronic signals fed directly into the ear, rather than simply making sounds louder like a conventional hearing aid. One part fits on the ear and the other part is implanted surgically.

For Mrs Crouch the effect has been truly life-changing. "I can hear better now than I have ever heard in my life."