Having a baby in 2020 during the pandemic was hard enough for many families but having a baby diagnosed with profound hearing loss created a whole host of additional challenges.

"Coping with the news that Eliana was deaf was compounded by having to attend appointments without her Dad because of Covid. It was so stressful and I just felt very alone,” explained Mum Katya.

“Once we had the diagnosis confirmed I set about finding out as much as I could about hearing loss and what the options were for deaf children. Two sources pointed me towards Auditory Verbal therapy - a friend whose son had Auditory Verbal therapy in America and some 2am google sessions while breastfeeding.

“This programme is not available through public services where we live in London which led us to Auditory Verbal UK.

“From our very first appointment with AVUK the team were all so helpful, guiding us and supporting us at a time where we felt so lost.

“As a first time Mum everything is new and you are working towards those milestones and developments. The key thing from AVUK was they supported us and Eliana to reaching and achieving those goals and milestones - not what we should aim to achieve for our deaf baby but what our ambitions were for our daughter.

“We have always told Eliana the sessions were time to play and we created it as a special time. Initially these were online due to continued Covid restrictions but we moved to a hybrid approach once restrictions eased, with sessions online and in person. Every session with our Auditory Verbal Therapist was so valuable and the entire approach for Auditory Verbal therapy is so interesting, particularly from a child development point of view. It just makes so much sense and we have used the same skills and learnings with our younger daughter who is hearing.”

For Katya and her family alongside the support they have received from AVUK meeting other families with deaf children has made a huge difference. Keen to spread the word and support others the family has hosted parents evenings at their London home.

Katya added: “From that initial evening we created a now thriving Whatsapp group where everyone is supported, not judged and free to ask any question or query that comes up. Friendships are forming and our community continues to grow. Together we are family ambassadors who can provide support and guidance to others.

“I continue to talk to as many new parents as possible and I always say what an amazing and unpredictable journey it has been. Although daunting, step by step you begin to see a light at the end of the tunnel. I have gained so much from attending the Auditory Verbal therapy programme and can’t imagine where we would be without it. There is help out there.”

Eliana graduated from the Auditory Verbal therapy programme at AVUK at the end of 2024 aged 4 with spoken language, in both English and Russian, ahead of a child of her age.

Currently at nursery she starts school in September. She loves her scooter, her bike and her roller skates just like many children of her age..

Katya and Mark – Eliana’s parents