Townsville: Elizabeth ‘BB’ Anchen to hear for the first time thanks to cochlear implant

A Townsville baby will be given one of the greatest gifts of her lifetime when her hearing impalnt is turned on.

An adorable Townsville one-year-old will have an implant turned on next week that will help her hear for the first time.

Elizabeth ‘BB’ Anchen is the latest recipient of surgery that has given her a new cochlear implant.

The surgery is the 100th such procedure completed since Townsville Hospital and Health Service began providing the service.

Townsville University Hospital Dr Sreedevi Aithal and surgeon Dr Shane Anderson with one-year-old Elizabeth ‘BB’ Anchen and her mum Sarah Anchen.

Elizabeth’s father, Louis Anchen said he and wife Sarah were stunned to discover their third child had been diagnosed with a rare type of hearing loss.

“Looking back at our first baby I thought it was kind of difficult. Then with number two I thought we can do this because we have done it all before,” Mr Anchen said.

“But with BB it’s a new ball game.”

Elizabeth, who was born premature, was diagnosed with Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder (ANDS) a condition where the ear is unable to transmit soundwaves correctly.

Her mother, Sarah Anchen, said the hospital had been quick to refer the family to paediatric audiologist Dr Sreedevi Aithal after their initial fears were confirmed.

“BB was born at 33 weeks plus one day and was being looked after at the NICU and special care nursery,” Mrs Anchen said.

“On her discharge they did the newborn hearing screening when she was about a month-old, by hospital-based healthy hearing program, and she failed.

“She has a profound loss of hearing in both ears, so she cannot hear a thing and even if she could hear, her nerves inside of her ear misfire, so she is not able to process sound in the same way we can.”

Dr Aithal said the surgery could have a “life-changing impact” for her patient, but Mrs Anchen was content with any improvement.

“We are hoping it works and that at the very least, she can hear danger noises like a car coming,” Mrs Anchen said.

Dr Aithal said with early intervention, children with conditions that hamper their hearing can have few to no impacts on their quality of life.

“We have had quite a few children through our program who are now at the top of their class and doing excellent in their academic or musical studies.”

Originally published as Townsville: Elizabeth ‘BB’ Anchen to hear for the first time thanks to cochlear implant