MATILDA IS MY INSPIRATION

Clare Tawell, 39, wanted her girl to know that her condition didn’t make her so different

- KARA O’NEILL, ERIN CARDIFF.

Clutching my husband Miles’ hand, I listened to the doctor as he told us that our three-week-old daughter, Matilda, had severe hearing loss.

‘She’ll need hearing aids,’ the doctor said, before he began measuring her ears. I was in a state of shock and could feel tears forming in my eyes.

Matilda had been born in February 2016 and, as far as Miles and I were concerned, she was absolutely perfect and looked just like our eldest daughter, Evelyn, then five.

When Matilda failed her first hearing test, we were told it was probably just built-up fluid. ut now, after follow-up tests, we discovered her hearing loss was permanent, caused by a genetic mutation Miles and I both carried.

At six weeks, Matilda had glittery, pink hearing aids fitted. Although she was too young to understand, I hoped that by making her hearing aids fun and pretty, she would like them.

They helped Matilda hear much better, and I did my best to explain to Evelyn. ‘Tilly has magic ears,’ I said, to which Evelyn replied that they were cool.