A two-year-old who was born deaf has been given the gift of sound by modern hearing technology.

Mia Basma-Saffieddine, from Golders Green, was born with bilateral profound hearing loss – a condition she shares with her mother Rayan.

Rayan was “devastated” to find out her daughter was deaf too and arranged for her to receive cochlear implants, which would allow her to hear again.

At 11 months old, Mia underwent surgery to have the implants installed and received early-intervention treatment from the charity Auditory Verbal UK to help her learn to listen and talk.

Rayan said: “Initially, we did not notice any difference in her reactions and I was told this is normal.

“Then as they were switched on was when our journey with her began and she entered a new world full of sounds.

“Her curious eyes would just lit up when she heard a new sound – it was just magical.”

“I was worried my daughter was going to have to go through all of what I had to as a child – she would not be able to speak on the phone, follow group discussion, listen to music or enjoy theatre.”

Within a month of Mia’s surgery, Rayan – who had been using hearing aids – also got her cochlear implant and remembered feeling “overwhelmed” by all the new sounds.

Cochlear Implant Day takes place this Saturday (February 25), celebrated by deaf people like Rayan and Mia around the world who have had their lives transformed by cochlear implants.