AssetID: 56102037
Headline: ‘I cried and cried when my baby was born deaf — it felt like the end of the world’
Caption: WORDS BYLINE: Elli Hodgson A mum who was told her baby was born deaf after a traumatic delivery says it felt like “the end of the world”. Beau Goodin’s family were told he had permanent hearing loss in his left ear and moderate hearing loss in his right — less than a week after his birth. Mum Alicia Mason “cried and cried” after receiving the news, having already gone through a traumatic labour. Beau was born with shoulder dystocia, where the baby’s head is born but becomes stuck during delivery. He had to be resuscitated because his oxygen level was cut off. The family do not yet know whether his deafness is hereditary or the result of nerve damage during birth. Now 11 months old, he continues to undergo regular tests. As Beau’s first birthday approaches, Alicia is raising money for the National Deaf Children’s Society, which picked up her call and provided advice and reassurance when she needed it most. She hopes to raise awareness of deafness in children and turn the “nervousness” and “anxiousness” she felt into “passion for making a difference”. Beau, who is Alicia’s second son, was born on November 7. During a newborn screening test, a week later, they found his left ear wasn’t responding at all, while the right ear also appeared to have some issues with sound. After being sent for further testing, which she describes as a “lengthy process”, a firm diagnosis was given on February 12. The 27-year-old from Chattenden in Medway, Kent was told Beau had moderate hearing loss in his right ear and permanent hearing loss in his left ear. She said: “Initially it did feel like the end of the world. “The future is very uncertain when you have a newborn baby in your arms, and they tell you that he can’t hear properly. “What will his speech be like? Will he be able to talk normally? Will he be delayed in terms of milestones and things like that? “Now that he is almost one, we try and celebrate the fact we have a child with a disability and treat him exactly the same as our other children.” Since his diagnosis, Beau had been to dozens of appointments as doctors tried to learn the cause of his deafness. However, this comes with a financial impact on the family, with costs for travelling to hospital, paying for parking and more costing an estimated £200-£300 a month. She added: “It does get lonely sitting in the hospital rooms, sitting in the corridors waiting for results. Sometimes you can be there all day and wait weeks for results in the lurch.” In March this year, Beau had his first-ever hearing aid fitted, and looking to the future, Alicia intends to learn sign language. The youngster will also have speech and language therapy in the future. To give back to the community and charities that have helped her navigate the past year, the mum is fundraising for the National Deaf Children’s Society. She said: “There’s not a lot about children’s deaf awareness, and it’s not until I’ve had a child myself that is deaf that I’ve found out this information. I don’t think a lot of people know the resources and support are there.” She is hosting a Christmas-themed fundraiser at the Hundred of Hoo school on December 5 from 1.30pm to 4.30pm, which will include a raffle, stalls and games. All money will go towards the charity, including its call centre which offers advice to families like Alicia’s. You can donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/alicia-jade-mason-2 Looking ahead, although the recruitment consultant is daunted by what the future holds, she says she feels “completely different” from the beginning, thanks to the support of the charity. She said: “It’s nice to know we’re not alone. “I’m so passionate about spreading awareness, not just for Beau but for other children currently going through the same thing or will in the future. “I’m turning my nerves and my anxiousness into passion to make a difference where I can.”
Keywords:
PersonInImage: Alicia is raising money for The National Deaf Children's Society