Breaking the Silence: The inspiriational story of a girl born deaf and how she took the gamble of a lifetime to hear

Joanne Milne was born in Gateshead in 1974. She was diagnosed as profoundly deaf at 16 months old but it wasn't until she was 29 that she was registered as blind and found to have Usher Syndrome. In 2014 she underwent a cochlear implant operation which gave her the ability to hear for the first time. Her story was picked up by the world's media and the clip of her implants being turned on was viewed by more than four million people. Today Jo is an ambassador for deaf children and leads a 'changing perceptions of hidden disability' campaign. She is also a columnist and regular radio and tv spokesperson.