Grampian Deaf Children's Society: Charity relaunched by mums to support families

A lack of support for children with hearing loss has inspired a group of mums to relaunch local charity.

After a hiatus in 2022, the Grampian Deaf Children’s Society (GDCS) is back, offering meet-ups, social events and advice for families across the north east.

One of the mums on the committee is Sandra Stark, whose five-year-old son Cameron was born deaf.

Cameron failed two routine newborn hearing tests after birth.

Initially, doctors told Sandra not to worry, suspecting a mucus build-up.

But a later referral to audiology revealed her son was severely deaf. He was fitted with hearing aids at just two months old and was referred for a cochlear implant in March 2025.

Sandra told STV News: “It was quite isolating; I think especially at the time I didn’t know who to go to speak to about this.

“I wasn’t signposted to ‘here’s someone you can chat to’ who is another parent and I think initially it was really upsetting.

“I remember being just distraught, feeling really upset.

“I was thinking ‘what’s his life going to be like?’ ‘How well is he going to hear?’ ‘Will he be able to speak?’ All these things go through your head.”

Sandra and a group of other local mums have come together to revive GDCS, hopes to reach out to parents and children across the north east.

Sandra helped relaunch the Grampian Deaf Children's Society — Sandra helped relaunch the Grampian Deaf Children’s Society STV News

The Scottish Government estimate that one in a thousand young people are born deaf – but Sandra says many families face the journey alone.

She said: “There isn’t really an opportunity to meet other parents and other children, really get together and provide that peer support.

“When Cameron was going through the referral for cochlear implant surgery, it was so helpful to speak to two other mums who were going through themselves, or had been through it and were able to explain to me what was happening.”

One of the other mums who benefitted from the group is Nicola Allan. Both her daughters have hearing difficulties.

For her, GDCS provided her with support she could not find elsewhere.

Nicola Allan has two daughters with hearing difficulties STV News

Nicola said: “It was really lonely; I had no understanding.

“You can arm yourself with all the knowledge but maybe just not have that person that you can connect with that fully understands and has the experience in it.

“That’s why setting up this charity has been so important to me and to all of us.”

GDCS plans to hold a series of events in Aberdeen and surrounding areas throughout the year.

These gatherings will allow parents and deaf children to meet others like them, share experiences, and find comfort in community.

Sandra said: “It’s important for deaf children to play and do activities with other children like them. It helps them build confidence.

“I’m also really excited to get parents, carers and guardians along to fill in membership forms to hear what they want to see us doing.”