When the video starts, 4-month-old Georgina silently stares at the camera. Then her mother says, “OK, so we’ve just turned your hearing on. Can you say hello to everybody?”
Georgina’s response is immediate — and heart-melting. She enthusiastically squeals a long, high-pitched “hi” of her own. When she turns her head, you can see the hearing aids in her tiny ears.
Paul Addison, Georgina’s dad, posted the video on Twitter because he wanted the world to know the joy his family experiences “When our daughter’s new hearing aids are turned on in the morning.”
More than half a million people have viewed the video, with many parents commenting that they’ve had similar experiences with their own children.
Addison told CNN he and his wife first learned about his daughter Georgina’s hearing difficulties when she failed her newborn hearing test in Harrogate, England. She was referred to an audiologist and was diagnosed with severe deafness. The doctor suggested hearing aids.
They took that advice. Georgina was outfitted with hearing aids from the National Health Service about five weeks ago. Addison described the first time Georgina heard her parents’ voices and reacted as delightful.
“It was a relief, we saw quite quickly that they were working well,” he said. “A real sense that things could get better.”
For other parents experiencing similar circumstances, Addison’s best advice is to just talk about it with others, specifically charities who can help offer solutions.
“Engage with those sorts of people, it’s such a huge comfort,” he said.
Through his video on social media, Addison said it’s been heartwarming to learn about other families and their experiences. He said he’s been able to see how other children have been performing at various stages of their lives and that has created hope for his family.
