Lawrence, a one-year-old Leppington toddler, was diagnosed with profound hearing loss shortly after birth.
But he is about to hear following the first paediatric cochlear implant performed at The George Centre Gledswood Hills on Monday – where the little fellow was also born.
Lawrence’s implant will be “switched on” in the coming weeks, when he will hear sound for the first time.
The George Centre is a modern private hospital providing surgical services for men, women and children and includes a private maternity unit. Lawrence was born there a year ago.
It’s the first time this life-changing surgery has been performed in the Macarthur region.
It means there’s now reduced need for families to travel long distances for care and highlights the growing specialist services in South West Sydney.
And for little Lawrence and his family it means he can now complete his entire care journey locally from diagnosis through to surgery and rehabilitation.
The procedure was carried out at The George Centre’s state of the art facilities by Professor Phillip Chang, one of Australia’s leading paediatric cochlear implant surgeons, using world-leading technology developed by Cochlear.
“This is a significant milestone not just for The George Centre, but for families across South West Sydney,’’ Professor Chang said.
“Early access to cochlear implantation is critical for a child’s speech and language development, and being able to deliver this care locally means better outcomes, with families able to remain close to home for diagnosis, surgery and rehabilitation rather than travelling to major metropolitan hospitals.”
Approximately 300 to 600 babies in Australia are diagnosed with permanent hearing loss each year, highlighting the importance of early detection and timely intervention.
Early screening enabled Lawrence to access specialist support locally via the Shepherd Centre’s Oran Park clinic.
Dr Aleisha Davis, CEO of the Shepherd Centre said early intervention changes lives.
“Having paediatric cochlear implant surgery available locally is an important step for families in South West Sydney, giving children access to specialist care closer to home,’’ she said.
“Surgery opens the door to sound, and specialist support before and after surgery turns that access into listening, language and connection. The Shepherd Centre is proud to be part of that local pathway for children and families.”
