We found out Enkhjin was deaf soon after she was born and were told then it was caused by a mutated gene - Connexin 26 gene -  a common genetic cause for hearing loss.

We felt lucky that she was approved as a candidate for cochlear implant surgery and received her first implant just before she was two in December 2006 and then the second the following August.

After her surgery we were keen to support Enkhjin to use spoken language and after finding out about Auditory Verbal UK’s family programme of Auditory Verbal therapy we signed up.

The programme was great for us as a family as well as Enkhjin. It gave us the confidence and the skills to support her and also realise that she could do everything a hearing child could.

After graduating from the programme with spoken language on a par with her hearing peers Enkhjin joined  a mainstream school, with a hearing unit for additional support. And even though she had graduated, AVUK as a charity continued to support us with advice and ad hoc sessions. 

Enkhjin has always loved and excelled in art – selling pieces, winning competitions, volunteering as an art teacher at a Mongolian community centre and meeting King Charles at an art workshop held at Buckingham Palace.

But she is also interested in science as a career and we were all delighted when she completed her BTEC Level 3 in Applied Science and won a place to study biomedicine at Queen Mary’s University in London in 2023.

We are so proud of everything Enkhjin has achieved and we would especially like to thank AVUK who have always encouraged us to aim high for our daughter.

We had no hesitation in rejoining the specialist programme with Enkhjin’s sister, Imuujin, who is also profoundly deaf and currently doing really well developing her spoken language.

Tuxa – Mum to Enkhjin and Imuujin