Callum and his hearing dog Piper

Fifteen-year-old Callum from Cove, Aberdeen, was the first child in Scotland to be partnered with a hearing dog. Piper came to live with him in 2021.

Callum’s mum tells his story:

"Callum was born 12 weeks premature, and that’s what doctors put his deafness down to. Although he passed the hearing screening after he was born, when we brought him home, he didn’t react to the hoover or to a door slamming. We had him tested and he was found to be severely deaf.

"He was initially given hearing aids and then fitted with cochlear implants just before his third birthday. A week later, he started nursery school with no language whatsoever.

"He goes to a mainstream secondary school now. His teachers wear a mini microphone in classes, which transmits sound directly to his cochlear implants.

"The main reason we applied for a hearing dog was because Callum struggled to get to sleep every night. When he took off his cochlear implants, his world was completely silent. He couldn’t hear us moving around the house and so felt really alone in the dark. My husband and I had to take it in turns to lie next to him each night until he fell asleep.

"From the day Piper arrived, we’ve never had to do this. She sleeps with him in his room and helps him to feel safe. The whole ‘going to bed’ thing has been a life-changer for us.

"Before Callum had Piper, he used to be anxious about being up in his bedroom on his own. Now, when he gets home from school, Piper’s there to greet him. He sits on the step and makes a fuss of her, then they go up to his room together and he plays with his friends online. He’s only allowed a certain amount of online play though, so we set a timer and when that goes off, Piper nudges him and he knows that time’s up!

"She’s the best alarm clock – she jumps on the bed in the morning to wake Callum up for school. She’s also been trained to fetch him. For instance, if I call him when he’s up in his bedroom, he won’t hear me, so I ask Piper to ‘Fetch Callum’, and she’ll go and get him.

"Piper has also given Callum more confidence. When we’re out on walks and we meet other dog walkers, Callum tells them about Piper and what she does for him. He’s very proud of her. There’s no way he would’ve done that before.

"Last year, with the help of his teacher of the deaf, he put together a video presentation to introduce Piper to his school friends. I took Piper into school, and Callum’s presentation was played in assembly. Afterwards, the kids asked him questions and got to meet Piper too.

"We will be forever grateful to the volunteers and staff who helped make Callum’s partnership with Piper possible. He’s grown in confidence and has more independence since being partnered with her. He says she’s his best friend."