This 91-year-old grandfather of ten becomes world's oldest person to get cochlear implants

Raymond Kelly suffered from progressive hearing loss since childhood and it became so bad that people would have to write down what they wanted to say to him.

Image for representational purpose only

New Delhi: A 91-year-old man named Raymond Kelly, from New Malden, south west London, became the world's oldest patient to be fitted with a cochlear implant.

According to a report in Daily Mail, Raymond suffered from progressive hearing loss since childhood and it became so bad that people would have to write down what they wanted to say to him.

After successful implant, Raymond can now hear the voice of his ten grandchildren and two great grandchildren for the first time.

As per the reports, the two-hour operation to fit a much thinner implant at St George's Hospital, Tooting, has transformed the former aerospace engineer's life.

The 91-year-old told Daily Mail that the implant has changed his life. And he will be able to hear his family’s voice and also listen to the radio and birds singing.

Cochlear implants are small hearing devices fitted under the skin behind the ear during surgery.

It is much thinner than previous models and cannot restore normal hearing, but it will give Raymond a good idea of sounds so he can learn to understand speech.

Despite his hearing loss, the old man led an active life and also joined the Air Cadets during the Second World War.