Deaf Couple Hear Each Other For First Time In 12-Year Marriage Thanks To Cochlear Implants

'It felt really emotional.'

A deaf couple who have been married for 12 years have just heard each other for the first time.

Neil and Helen Robinson, from Salisbury, Wiltshire, were both deaf from birth and have spent their lives communicating with sign language.

But now, thanks to cochlear implants, they have been able to say ‘I love you’ for the first time.

They are thought to be the first couple in the UK to have the implants fitted and are amazed they can finally hear each other.

Caters

Neil, 50, said: “It felt incredible, in a happy way. It felt really emotional.

“This morning when I jumped out of my car to attend the morning prayer, I suddenly heard birds arguing with each other.

“It was so loud so I was quite impressed at how much more I could hear now.”

Helen, 54, pushed for the couple to have the implants and they underwent surgery at the Nuffield Health Wessex Hospital in Chandler’s Ford in November.

Caters

The implants sit on the inside and outside of the skull and are connected with a magnet.

The inner part has 16 electrodes which receive information sent by the processor on the outside of the skull.

The electrodes then send pulses of electricity to the brain which then deciphers them into sounds.

Surgeons had to carefully navigate past nerves to successfully fit the implants, and the couple - who have a son - will continue to travel to Southampton for follow-up appointments.

Caters

Dr Mary Grasmeder, from the University of Southampton Audiology Implant Service (USAIS), said: “People who have been deaf for some time don’t have the same expectation of sound will be like compared with someone who has just lost their hearing.

“Because their auditory system is not so well developed it will be more difficult for them to process the information and to understand it.”

Professor Carl Verschuur, director of USAIS, added: “We are a clinical unit grew of the institute of sound vibration research and because of that we are actually in the University which is unusual.

“We are very engaged in research and teaching as well as our staff being involved in the training of the next generation of audiologists.

“It means we also have the opportunity to interact with our patients who may want to help with our research by sharing their experiences.”

1
Parrot Pot
What's better than saving the planet? How about saving it from your smartphone, one plant at a time. As well as making drones, incredible headphones and in-car stereos Parrot also make the world's most intelligent plant pot. With a 2.2l water reservoir built in, a smart irrigation system and four sensors the Pot connects to WiFi so you can keep your Orchid at the top of its game even when you're not at home.
2
Hydrao - Smart Shower
The average person uses 80 litres of water during a shower. That's a frankly obscene amount of what is fast becoming a precious commodity being used for no other reason than allowing you a sing-a-long in the mornings. Thankfully Hydrao is here to help. This smart shower head changes colour depending on how much water you've used. It has Bluetooth 4.0 built-in and connects to a smartphone app which then shows you how you've been doing. The clincher is that it doesn't need any power, instead it's powered by the water passing through it.
3
Marbotic Smart Letters
We've all heard those horror stories about children spending an absolute fortune on their parent's tablets. Well Marbotic has found a way to combine traditional wooden toys with the iPad that won't cost you an arm and a leg. These little wooden letters and numbers can be 'stamped' onto the iPad's screen. The app comes with a range of different games and educational exercises. It's a wonderfully simple way of combining the old with the new.
4
Ziro
Ziro could do for robotics what Google Cardboard has done for virtual reality. Bought as a set these wireless 'blocks' can be put together any way you want while a glove then allows you to control your creation using gestures. The whole package is completely customisable as well letting you assign gestures to different actions using the smartphone app.
5
Beddit
The Beddit sleep tracker deserves a mention as one of the most comprehensive packages around. Rather than forcing you to sleep with a phone under your pillow, this subtle device can accurately track your sleep and even your resting heart-rate. At the end of each night you get given a score and then recommendations on how to get that score up. In the battle for inner peace, Beddit is leading the charge.
6
Kolibree Smart Toothbrush
Cleaning one's teeth can be an incredibly dull task so imagine how boring it must be for a child. Realising that infants simply don't have an attention span, Kolibree have come up with this ingenious smart toothbrush. Packed with sensors it turns brushing into a game. With some big name partners on board including Ubisoft the game intelligently knows how and where you're brushing your teeth thanks to Bluetooth built into the brush. You know what, sod the kids we're buying one for us as well.
7
BeeWi Tap Sensor
So you've started saving water in the shower, but what about the garden? Enter BeeWi's latest innovation, a water tap sensor that can be programmed to automatically water your garden. Rather than wasteful watering the smart tap knows the right amount to pump out, saving water and also saving you some serious money too.
Close