A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD boy who is deaf is now able to hear some of his lessons, thanks to a £1,500 donation to Bridestowe Primary School by Okehampton and District Lions. Tom Pearce uses British Sign Language but has recently been fitted with a cochlear implant, which will give him more access to spoken English. Lions president Ian Snell presented a cheque for £1,500 to the school for the cost of purchasing a Soundfield system, which will enhance the quality of sound Tom hears. Mr Snell said: ?We are delighted to be able to help this young man in his school and it was a joy to see his face and to be able to see firsthand the benefits this sound system has brought, not just to Tom, but to the whole class.? The technology is also beneficial to the other children as the soundfield system amplifies the teachers? and children?s? voices, overcoming some of the problems of background noises. Sound is distributed equally to all pupils in the class, wherever they are sitting in the classroom. Bridestowe head teacher Shan Maiden said: ?We really appreciate the fact that the Lions have funded it. ?All the children will benefit, but particularly Tom. It will make a huge difference for him.? A cochlear implant is an electronic device. A small part of it is surgically implanted in the inner ear to provide direct electrical stimulation of the nerve, giving a sensation of hearing. There is also an externally worn speech processor that is connected to a headpiece with a microphone to pick up the sound waves, which the processor converts into minute electrical signals. A Soundfield system amplifies the wide natural dynamics of the human voice with minimal distortion. This requires very high quality loudspeakers specifically designed for maximum speech intelligibility and provides uniform distribution of sound. Tom only had his cochlear implant put in in July, and the volume is gradually being turned up as he gets used to sounds. The device is not as sensitive as the human ear, which is why the soundfield is invaluable in helping Tom to hear everything that is said in his school?s large Victorian rooms. Mrs Maiden said Tom was currently mixing signing and learning to listen. ?Now he can copy sounds so it also improves his speaking,? she said. Okehampton Lions donate around £18,000 to local and international causes each year.
