Charlotte Allan
When Perth mum Lacy Swan’s daughter Charlotte failed the newborn hearing test at 3 days of age, the medical team explained it could simply be due to fluid on the ears. But when Charlotte failed the test again at 7 days, Lacy began to worry.
Referred to Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH), it wasn’t long before Lacy got a life-changing phone call from the hospital’s Ear, Nose and Throat Department.
During the call she was given a lightning introduction to congenital CMV – a little-known virus linked to hearing loss in babies – and invited to take part in a new trial aimed at screening for CMV and providing early intervention for children affected by the virus. Lacy still thanks her lucky stars she said yes.
“We went and got a saliva test and Charlotte tested positive to CMV. Little did we know that was just the start of a very long journey,” Lacy said.
Further tests followed and within weeks Charlotte, by then eight weeks old, was being fitted with her first hearing aids, through Hearing Australia.
"Charlotte loved her hearing aids – we don’t really know if they gave her any additional sounds, but we do know they kept her auditory nerves alive and gave her development a boost," Lacy said.
Seven months later, in December last year, Charlotte underwent cochlear implant surgery. The moment the implants were turned on for the first time, Lacy says her little girl’s face lit up with wonder.
Earlier this year, Charlotte celebrated her first birthday. Watching her little girl clapping after being sung Happy Birthday, Lacy knows how different the celebration could have been.
“If we hadn’t gotten that phone call or if I had said no to the mouth swab, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” she said. “We’d probably still be looking for answers and we’d be without the early intervention. Charlotte probably wouldn’t have heard us singing Happy Birthday."
“Even though it was a lot to take in in the first month of my baby’s life, to get those answers so quickly and so directly gave us so much peace of mind and a clear direction on what assistance she could get.”