'She is very positive' Laois child coping with deafness is learning violin

A young Laois girl who suffered severe hearing loss two years ago, is breaking disability barriers and raising awareness in her community and school.

Jessie Condon Egan, aged 8 from Portlaoise, has launched a special book written by Irish children who are deaf and hard of hearing, in which she plays a big role.

Not only that but some staff in her school, Scoil Bhride NS, are learning sign language and her classmates are learning about deafness.

The book called The Magic Within Our Ears, is a compilation of stories, illustrations and poems. Jessie wrote a story in it, and came up with the title.

It was launched by her in Portlaoise Library recently, with her family and Chime, the National Charity for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people who published the book.

Tanya spoke to the Leinster Express / Laois Live about her inspirational daughter, the youngest of three siblings.

“We are very proud of her. She thinks she's famous now, she'd delighted. It is the first book for Irish children, we had to get ones from the US and elsewhere,” she said.

“Jessie wasn't deaf when she was born. She became sick in 2021 at the age of six. After a brief illness and an operation she lost her hearing. It was diagnosed as moderate to severe, but now it is severe to profound,” she said.

Jessie calls her two bluetooth hearing aids her “magic ears” hence the inspiration for the book title.

“She is very positive. she is not letting it hold her back.

“It can be very tiring for her in school, it was a huge change. She has gone through a lot. She had fear at night when her aids were turned off and she could hear nothing,” her mother said.

Jessie also felt her difference while at school.

“She came and asked me 'am I very different?' because the school had days for autism and other things but not deafness,” said Tanya.

Tanya approached the school to ask for support, and thanks to Jessie's teacher Ms Butler, her class celebrated World Hearing Day, to raise awareness in her classmates.

Jessie relies on assisted technology in school and at home.

She is also learning Irish Sign Language at home with a tutor who is also deaf.

“The tutor started giving lessons in her school last week to teach people to communicate with Jessie in case her aids stop working.

“She can't go swimming with her class, she needs one to one lessons.

“She has started private lessons learning the violin, also one to one, with Laois Music Generation.

“She made her communion last week and the priest wore a bluetooth system around his neck so she could hear him, she was delighted with her self," Tanya said.

The Chime charity has been a big help to Jessie and her family.

“Chime helped a lot when she was diagnosed. We went to a Newly Diagnosed Weekend in the Midlands Park hotel with other families.

“They hold events for all children and Jessie loves that everyone is like her, she is not different there,” Tanya said.

Rose Looman is the Children and Family Support Worker for Chime, which is based in Tullamore.

"We had the pleasure of holding a book launch in the local library in Portlaoise for Jessie Condon Egan. Jessie participated In our book.

The Magic Within Our Ears is available to buy on the Chime website. It costs €8.99 and every purchase funds Chime’s essential services. Chime gives help to people of all ages who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, or living with tinnitus. They offer support, guidance, advice, a welcoming community, and also campaign for better Government support. See www.chime.ie