AS every parent knows, getting your child ready and out of the door in time for school each morning can often be a struggle.

But it can be even more of a challenge for Evelynn Blease, from Orford, who prepares for her seven-year-old twin boys Harry and Billy to go to separate schools using  different forms of communication.

Like any expectant mum, when 40-year-old Evelynn  discovered she was having twins she started to make plans for their future – which included them attending the same school.

However when the twins arrived at almost 25 weeks in 2011, their plans were thrown into turmoil.

Harry got a serious blood infection and needed to have gentamicin, an antibiotic used to treat serious bacterial infections.

Evelynn said: “It was such a worrying time for us all, we just felt helpless.”

Harry was given his first hearing test during his 16-week stay in hospital which showed signs of a hearing loss.

But it was when Evelynn and her partner John settled into  their new life at home with their new sons they realised Harry would need extra support.

“Everything was great but it was clear that Harry wasn’t responding like Billy and we put that down to the trauma of the infection,” said Evelynn.

“Little did we know that gentamicin can cause deafness.”

The couple tried hearing aids but Harry kept pulling them out and it was soon discussed with doctors that cochlear implants would be better for him.

Harry had his implants operation at around 20 months old and they were a success.

Evelynn said: “After a lot of speech therapy it soon became apparent that he wasn’t gaining speech and that signing was our only option.

“I hadn’t even met a deaf person never mind have a deaf child and we felt very isolated and unsupported.”

Help was on the horizon for the Blease family in the form of Cheshire-based charity Deafness Support Network (DSN), which has offices in Warrington.

Through funding secured from BBC Children In Need, the charity was able to help support the family through the ‘I’m Hear’ project.

Evelynn, now a project worker for I’m Hear, said: “The relief for us was immense. Our support worker helped me with learning basic sign language, deaf awareness, applying for funding to start level one British Sign Language lessons, meeting other parents with deaf children and getting Harry the right support and the right school.”

The family have now been forced to split brothers Harry and Billy up between schools.

“Within Warrington there is very little support for deaf children and their families and we have had to fight very hard to get Harry the right support and into the appropriate school for him,” Evelynn added.

Harry now attends a primary school in Knotty Ash, Liverpool, as they have a deaf resource base attached to the mainstream school.

n If you need help or support due to hearing loss, contact info@dsn-online.co.uk or visit dsn-online.co.uk.