Joanne Milne suffers from Usher's syndrome, a condition that usually starts from birth and affects the inner ear.
She has never heard a sound, not even the sound of her own voice.
Which makes the moment she does do so, with the aid of a cochlear implant all the more poignant.
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The 40-year-old from Gateshead also went blind with the condition in her mid-20s. She said, reported The Mailonline, "'Being deaf was just who I was. Unfortunately when I became registered blind things changed dramatically and for the first time being deaf became increasingly difficult."
Joanne also helps to mentor other people with Usher's Syndrome. Take a look at the video - it is extremely touching.