This month, for the first time in years, Kāpiti Coast primary schooler Joshua Robinson will be able to hear birds chirping outside and the sound of rain on the roof. Unbeknown to his parents, the seven-year-old has spent most of his life lip reading, which came to light in October when he was diagnosed as moderately deaf.
“My husband Pete and I always thought it was strange Josh never ran into our room like his older brother when there was a storm,” recalls Jess Robinson, 33, also mum to Jack, 11. “It turns out he couldn’t hear it or many other things around him and was lip reading to survive in a world of hearing.”
For Jess, an office manager, learning her son was hearing impaired wasn’t entirely unexpected given he often turned the TV up to full volume. But she hadn’t anticipated being told his hearing loss was just below severe, which is fully deaf.
When she received the devastating news at Wellington Hospital, Pete, 34, a construction foreman, wasn’t by her side because of Covid restrictions.
The whole family is learning sign language
“It was really hard not having my husband there, but I sucked it up and got the kids to the car, and then burst into tears,” Jess tells. “My boys asked what was wrong and I said I hadn’t had very good news about Josh’s hearing. Josh didn’t fully comprehend what was going on and said he was sorry! That made me bawl more because he’s such a sweetheart.”
At the beginning of this year, the young rugby lover received hearing aids in his favourite colour green, and when he starts back at school, his teacher will be fitted with a microphone.
“It has a button and hangs around the teacher’s neck, and it can be muted and turned on when he’s talking to the class or Josh,” explains Jess who, together with Joshua, Jack and Pete, is learning sign language.
Getting hearing aids is a game-changer for Josh
If it hadn’t been for Jess’ determination to find out why Josh was suddenly playing up at school and not answering her at home, his hearing difficulties might have continued for years.
When her requests for hospital appointments kept falling through because of 2020’s first Covid lockdown, Jess decided to pay for an audiology test at a private clinic. But she says the audiologist insinuated Josh was making it up.
“I didn’t think it sounded right and was quite angry, so I went home and kept pushing and ringing anyone I could think of,” says Jess. “You have to trust that natural mother’s instinct. If I’d listened to her and agreed he was being naughty, he could’ve spent the rest of his life in this situation.”
“Jack was really supportive and told Josh if anyone bullies him, to let him know”
She contacted a B4 School Check nurse, who tests children’s ears prior to attending primary school, and Josh was given a hearing test at Plunket, which confirmed he had a hearing deficit. Shortly after, he underwent a two-hour hearing test at hospital.
“They’ve said Josh needs regular breaks during the day because he’s working overtime trying to hear,” Jess says. “At the moment, he has a bit of hearing, but it’s muffled. With words like cheese, he’ll hear the ‘eese’ but have to put the ‘ch’ part together himself.”
Although doctors don’t know exactly what caused Josh’s hearing loss or when it started, it may have been brought on by an ear infection.
“When we told Josh he needed hearing aids, he thought they’d make his ears better and then he wouldn’t need them any more,” tells Jess, whose son wants to be a doctor or a vet one day. “He struggled with the news they’d be long-term, but he’s a practical thinker and figures at least he’ll be able to hear better.”
“These hearing aids are going to open the world for him and that’s really exciting.”
Josh was excited to tell his friends at school about his new hearing devices and the encouragement of his big brother has helped.
“Jack was really supportive and told Josh if anyone bullies him, to let him know,” Jess laughs. “Boys being boys, they’ve learnt some words in sign language they think are pretty funny!”
Jess will work alongside Josh’s school and the Ministry of Education to put a plan in place for his learning, while audiologists continue to monitor his hearing. For now, the youngster doesn’t qualify for cochlear implants as he still has some cochlear function.
“The fact Josh is already thriving academically and has clearly fought to get to where he is blows my mind,” enthuses Jess, who will run an event at the boys’ school this May for New Zealand Sign Language Week. “I think, when he can hear, how far will he go? These hearing aids are going to open the world for him and that’s really exciting.”
