My son, Jarvis was diagnosed profoundly deaf at The Elizabeth Foundation in February 1996, aged 10 months. As with most parents, Ian and I were absolutely devestated but truly comforted by the support, hope and guidance that we received from Shirley and the team.

We are extremely proud of Jarvis who is now 11 years old. People frequently make postive remarks about his speech, often accompanied by the comment, “ You must have worked hard with him.” My reply is always the same: I just talked and talked to him (and still do!), about anything and everything that he showed an interest in, and listened to him with genuine interest and encouragement when he had something to say. I never stopped believing that the speech and language would come.

Having Jarvis inspired me to become a Teacher of the Deaf thus I was delighted when I was asked to join the team at The Elizabeth Foundation.