Tuesday, 30 March 2010, 7:30PM – 8:00PM ITV 1

At the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, one year old Charlie, who was born profoundly deaf, is waiting to have a life changing operation. Two cochlear implants may enable him to hear for the first time. Charlie’s older sister Daisy successfully underwent a cochlear implant operation five years ago as she too was born deaf.

Mum Emma, says: “It’s almost as if Charlie is in his own little bubble, living in a world of silence. I just want him to be able to say Mummy and Daddy.” Surgeon Richard Ramsden, one of the UK’s pioneers of hearing implants, has come out of retirement to carry out the groundbreaking operation on Charlie. He explains: “I cannot end a life’s work and interest in cochlear implants so abruptly – it is one of the things I have spent my professional life doing.” He describes the operation as: “The most gratifying – you are giving someone a life back”.

The Children’s A&E Department sees around 50 children with breathing problems every week and it has a special resuscitation unit for those in high risk. Today, Professor Simon Carley is caring for 17 day old Megan who was brought in by distraught parents Laura and Mark after they noticed she was having difficulty breathing. After taking Megan for an x-ray Professor Carley finds that her lung has partially collapsed and she will need immediate help.

The time has come for Dr Richard Ramsden to perform cochlear implant surgery on Charlie. It’s an intricate operation which needs the steadiest of hands to connect the electrode of the implant to the ear. Charlie’s mum worries that he will struggle to adapt to the implant, she says: “I have made the decision for Charlie to have this operation – it’s the difference between him being mute for the rest of his life and being able to interact with people.”

Lise Henderson is the co-ordinator of the paediatric cochlear implant programme; she will help Charlie with his speech once the implants are working. Four weeks after the operation Emma and Charlie meet with Lise to find out whether it has been a success – the implants are switched on for the first time. The only sign that they have worked will be if Charlie starts to cry on hearing things for the first time… it’s the moment of truth for Charlie and Emma.

Also brought in to the A&E unit at the Children’s Hospital are 12 year old Barney, who’s been hopping for four days since a football injury and three year old Ruby who’s taken a nasty tumble.