David was diagnosed with severe to profound hearing loss at two weeks old after failing his newborn hearing test and just before he was a year-old he had his cochlear implant surgery.

Fast forward 10 years and he is a very popular and sociable 11-year-old with language skills in both English and Romanian. He spends the summer holidays in Romania, where his grandparents live and speaks solely Romanian. People there are always impressed with his ability to speak both languages and switch from one language to the other.

To thank AVUK for the support they gave the whole family Mum Irina is taking on the London Landmarks Half Marathon in April. She explained: “We were concerned about David learning to listen and speak full stop and worried that trying to teach a deaf child two languages was just not doable, but AVUK not only made us believe it was possible but proved it was possible."

“Without the fantastic support we had from AVUK I am not sure how David would have developed and thrived the way he has. We are so glad we found out about them early on and we had the amazing opportunity to turn what seemed to be a sad and worrying experience into a fun and optimistic one." 

 “We are so proud of him. His teachers say that in school he is always engaged and confident to ask questions and seeks answers to clarify. He is a valued member of his class and children look up to him. He loves his little sister, has a great sense of humour and has big dreams and aspirations." 

“I am so pleased to be taking on the London Landmarks Half Marathon in April to give something back to AVUK to thank them for everything they have done for David and us as a family.”

Irina added: “I found out about Auditory Verbal UK online and started attending sessions even before his surgery. AVUK changed our lives. It has been the best intervention for David’s speech, language, socialisation and development skills and AVUK has been amazing and supportive every step of the way. It took a lot of effort and determination, but it was worth it.”

David is a bit lover of football, artwork and playing with his friends: