DECEMBER 17TH 2020

I am sure that we are all familiar with the story of how Jesus healed the deaf man (Mark chapter 7) but how can we carry out works like that? How can we carry out miracles? Can we read passages from the Bible and then think about the lessons that we have learnt? What skills that we have got and how we can apply them in the 21st century? Jesus was a great communicator and often used his skills to get a message across, but what if we are unable to physically hear the message. In today's feature, a young man, through the use of modern technology gains his hearing for the first time. What message should we we trying to get across to people and how are we using modern technology to help us do that?

My first memory of coming to England was at the age of four without hearing a sound. At the time I didn’t know why I came to England, but around at the age of five I knew the reason. It was because my Dad got a job over here. I am so grateful to my parents for coming over here because if I still lived in India, I might not ever have got eh chance to be able to hear…….
For a short time we lived in Coventry, maybe for a year or two. I used to see people talking to me but I still didn’t hear a thing they said. I think that was the worst time in my life because I never had any friends to go and play with when I was little. When I went to school my teachers unnerved me and I used to cling to my Mom because I didn’t want her to leave me. She was my safety blanket! During that time I visited a hospital where I had a hearing test and my Mom would have been told of my deafness. Coventry hospital gave me two hearing aids but they were useless. I still heard nothing and was unable to talk.
Two years later we moved to Stoke on Trent,  I was about six years old went to Harpfield primary school.  There was a lady there who introduced me to the idea of a special school, and although I couldn’t understand what she was saying there was a smile on my Mom’s face!
Four or five days later I joined the Willows primary school. I was very anxious when I saw that the teacher and the children were doing something very strange with their hands. There was one child who was just like me in a class of other hearing children. The teacher taught us sign language. It was very hard for me but I learnt and can still sign!
When I was in year 2 I was given the chance to have a cochlear transplant after tests had been done to see if I was suitable. The surgery took place at Manchester hospital and lasted about six hours. They placed an implant behind my ear which would hopefully help me to hear.
My life began to change immediately, I had speech and language therapy and all the teachers were there to help and support me. Living in a world with silence has now gone. The cochlear transplant was the best present that I ever had because it gave me the gift of hearing!
It made my life so different because when I was born in India, I struggled to communicate and socialise however when I came to England and my hearing difficulties were diagnosed and at the age of eight I had my first implant, it was amazing! Although I still struggle to hear some words when it is a noisy environment, I have a brilliant life and I really thank my parents who allowed me the chance to hear something!

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