About Us

My son, who has just turned six, was born with moderate to severe hearing loss. From the beginning, we’ve been on a journey to do what’s best for him and ensure he feels understood and accepted. As a hearing family, it was incredibly important for us to connect with other deaf children so he could have peers to identify with.

We began learning British Sign Language early in his life, and he later joined a school for the deaf. I was aware that there had once been a Grampian Deaf Children’s Society, and when a group of mums—whose babies were all identified as deaf around the same time—came together, a real sense of community formed. This allowed us to revive the charity, bringing the children together again and creating a supportive network for all our families

I choose to get involved as soon after my child was diagnosed as deaf, it was very natural to me to seek out other parents in a similar situation. I found myself deep in Google searches reading blogs about hearing aids, BSL, people’s experiences but I really struggled to find families local to me.

This was frustrating to me as I knew early on that it would be crucial for my child’s development and wellbeing to have normal opportunities to meet other deaf children. Very slowly, I began to meet one family at a time and formed relationships. I felt quite strongly that this charity needed to be formed again so other parents were not as isolated in those early days post diagnosis.

After finding out my son had a diagnosis of mild- moderate hearing loss after he was born I was keen to find out more and speak to other families who may have been in a similar situation.

I think it’s so important that there are groups to help support children and families in navigating through a deaf diagnosis and providing a community for deaf children in the North East of Scotland.

I have 2 children, a son aged 5 who is profoundly deaf and wears cochlear implants and a hearing daughter aged 3.

I’m excited to be involved in GDCS to create a supportive and empowering community for local deaf children and young people and their families.

2 years ago I attend a NDCS convention in Glasgow. While talking with one of the young speakers, I asked her what advice she would give to a mum of little girls with hearing loss. She replied the best thing her mum did was join the NDCS.

This opened up a community and made her realise she wasn’t the only one. From that day it lit a fire in my stomach as I knew there was such a void for a group like this in Aberdeen & the Shire.

My daughter was born profoundly deaf, which was completely new territory for me—I didn’t know anyone else with hearing loss. I was eager to connect with other parents in similar situations and came across the Grampian Deaf Children’s Society, hoping it would help me find local families who had been through something similar.

Unfortunately, I soon learned that the charity was folding due to a lack of volunteers. This news only strengthened my determination to connect with other families of deaf children, in the hope of bringing the charity back to life.

After meeting up with a few local families, I found it incredibly valuable to share our stories and experiences. It made me realise just how important it is to have a supportive community. I truly believe that having groups like this in place is vital to help children and their families navigate those early, often overwhelming stages.