Our daughter, Jodie, was diagnosed as profoundly deaf at four weeks of age. We had no previous experience of what this would mean. We were told by a healthcare professional that Jodie would not be able to speak and were left devastated with no support or advice. The same day we scanned the Internet and found The Elizabeth Foundation. Within a day or so we had arranged to visit a family centre and were given hope that Jodie would be able to speak and lead a successful, fulfilling life.

Jodie started sessions at The Elizabeth Foundation straight away. We were guided on how best to help Jodie develop speech and language. We consider ourselves fortunate to be withing travelling distance of a Family Centre. We did not have access to similar support via the NHS.

At 14 months, Jodie received a Cochlear Implant. Speech came slowly at first. The constant input at home and at The Elizabeth Foundation produced steady progress. She developed a natural, clear voice and a good vocabulary. Jodie stayed at The Elizabeth Foundation until she moved onto mainstream school at four and a half years.

She is doing extremely well in a mainstream classroom having speech and language abilities on a par with her hearing peers. The experience of a classroom environment at The Elizabeth Foundation made for an easy transition to mainstream school. She plays an active part in school life and has a wide range of friends. She was especially proud of playing Mary at the school play. Teaching professionals do not realise Jodie is deaf until they are told, a testament to how far Jodie has come.

The Elizabeth Foundation has given Jodie the best possible start in life. We understand just how important those first few years are for developing speech. We will always be grateful for everything they have done for Jodie. We believe these facilities need to be available to all children with a hearing loss around the UK, not just to those lucky enough to live near one of The Elizabeth Foundation Centres.

As a way of giving something back, we organise a Rowing Challenge each May. Teams of four people each row a boat two lengths of Lake Windermere, an incredible 21 miles.