Rustington man fund-raising for god-daughter’s bionic ear

John Hudson, of Cove Road, Rustington, is launching a fund-raising appeal at his hairdressing salon in the village, to help his disabled god-daughter Evie Small.

The profoundly deaf 20-month-old needs help to fund her £60,000 operation to fit her with a life-changing bionic ear, before she loses her sense of sound completely and is condemned to a life of silence.

John, who owns Hairways, in Sea Lane, will be running a host of fund-raising days with salon staff this week, to help drum up cash to go towards the cost of the operation, in Italy.

“This is Evie’s last chance saloon. It’s the final opportunity for us to help save a little girl’s hearing. She needs this operation before she turns two. Any time after then, it simply won’t work. We have a chance to give her the ultimate gift of hearing – but that window of opportunity is rapidly running out,” said John,

Evie, who lives with her parents Emily and David, in Hampshire, has no auditory nerves in her ears, meaning that traditional hearing aids would not have worked.

Only a handful of bionic ears have been fitted in the UK on the NHS, but funding could take months to secure. By then, Evie would be too old for the procedure to succeed.

On Wednesday (June 20), she flew out to Italy to prepare for the operation to fit an auditory brainstem implant.

However, the family still desperately needs money to cover the cost of the surgery.

John and his colleagues, Linda Ruffle and Alison Partner, pictured, are today (Thursday) ramping up their fund-raising efforts.

Raffle tickets will be on sale with a range of prizes on offer, including a round of golf for four people at Ham Manor Golf Club. Donation tins in the salon have already raised about £250.

The raffle will be drawn on Saturday, June 30. To donate, see www.hopeforhearing.co.uk