The mum of a Tayside tot born deaf spoke of her delight today as he is now able to play like any other normal little boy.
Four-year-old Oliver Bosch, originally from Dundee, spent his first two years lying down as his lack of hearing meant he didn’t have any balance.
The toddler, who now lives in Carnoustie, was also constantly ill due to his weak immune system and required major surgery because his neck muscles were too soft, which caused his airways to collapse and restrict his breathing.
He now has implants to help him hear some noises and now, for the first time, Oliver is fit enough and well-versed in sign language with his older sister Darcy, eight, so he can finally communicate and play with her.
Mum Jemma, 40, said: “Oliver has put on four kilos since July, which doesn’t sound a lot but he was only 12 kilos before, so he’s doing really well.
“He’s now eating so much more and is more alert now. One of the best things is that he’s able to interact and play with his sister.
“There’s a video I took of Darcy dancing to Jessie J and he was up dancing with her and it was great to see. They even have little arguments at the dinner table in sign language, which sounds silly, but it’s these small things that other people don’t think about, that they weren’t able to do before.”
But Oliver still gets regularly unwell due to his weak immune system, and his lack of activity and hearing as a baby means he is a couple of years behind in his development compared to others his age.
He regularly goes for mapping at hospital where his implants are adjusted so he can hear better.
But progress is slow and it is still not known if Oliver will ever be able to speak full sentences.
Jemma said: “He was due to start school this year, but we’ve delayed it till 2017 as he’s only just starting to develop his social skills now.
“He will remain at nursery until 2017 as we felt he wasn’t quite ready for school yet, which will be tough in any case for him whenever he starts.”
Due to his lack of hearing, Oliver even struggles to blow his nose or how to suck drinks through a straw because only being able to see how they are done is not enough to teach him the process.
Oliver’s family are still trying to raise £20,000 for a trip to the specialist John Tracy Clinic in Los Angeles, but if they don’t reach that amount, they will use the cash on sign language classes for him instead.
Anyone who wishes to donate can do so at gofundme.com/helpoliverhear