On the 28th June 2011 I become the proud uncle to a bootiful niece.

However it werent long before she was diagonised as being Deaf.

From the moment I heard that news I hit the old "google" button and started reseaching.  The First Page I came across was the National Deaf Childrens Society.  I spent about an hour reading their pages (longest I'd read anything for a long while!) and before long I was signing up for their newsletters and emailing them with various questions.

This was a all new to me and my family and I wanted as much information as I could get so could I share it with my Parents, my Brother and Sister-In-Law.

The NDCS staff replied within a day (quicker than most high paid companies) and on questions they didn't know the answer to they researched and got back to me with the best possible answer/options.

They are always campaigning for deaf children and children with hearing difficulites,and trying to help those families that it affects, and honestly you wouldnt believe some of the stuff our government wants to cut or change, which would make it harder for them all.

This is what made me want to raise money for the NDCS and so one night amongst friends in my usual place, My local Tom Peppers, now I could have done a Bungee Jump or a Sky Dive, but I wanted to challenge myself, because everyday, a deaf child and their family face various challenges that most of us dont ever consider.  After a few pints The London Marathon was the choice......26.3 miles of pure hell, well for me it will be as I simply dont run.  Running is for Forest Gump, and unless theres a burger or a beer waiting for me I'll quite happilly just walk! (my pub is 30seconds down the road from me)

But alas this is the challenge I've set myself, and walking, for me, is not an option, even tho I'll have to go past 58 pubs (approx) and not have one pint in any of them.  This is MY Challenge.

Times are hard and money is tight, I know this. But please dont let that stop you from donating.  Every penny counts, its not a cliche its a fact.

And look before you make a donation just think about this.  Imagine having a child, who cant hear their own laugh, who cant hear the loving words of their family.  Imgaine yourself growing up and never hearing, the birds sing, the traffic outside, the music of Justin Beiber or 1 Direction (ok that could actually be a blessing). Imgainie never hearing your own laugh....i think you get the picture. This is what a deaf child faces everyday.  And The NDCS help these children and their families.

So before I go let me just give you some facts about deafness in children:

• Four babies are born deaf every day.
• 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents with little or no experience of deafness or knowledge of how to communicate with a deaf person.
• There are over 45,000 deaf children living in the UK.
• The key to unlocking a deaf child’s potential is the family unit. That is why families of deaf children must receive the full range of support and information to which they are entitled. This is not currently the case.

• 40% of deaf children have additional needs.

• Four babies are born deaf every day.

• Many families struggle to communicate effectively with their deaf child.

• Many deaf children struggle to communicate with their immediate family, and develop language at a slower rate than their hearing peers.

• Given the right support there is no reason for any deaf child to develop language at a slower rate than a hearing child with similar abilities.

• Deafness is not a learning disability. There is no reason why the majority of deaf children should achieve any less than hearing children.

• Deaf children are at far higher risk of developing mental illness than their hearing peers.

• Deaf children need to be able to communicate effectively, access information and influence the world around them by any appropriate method whether through sign language, oral communication or a combination of approaches.

So there you have it.  as I've said before I dont care what you donate because, as a supermarket would say, every little helps.

I thank you all in advance for your generous donations and I thank you on behalf of myself, The NDCS, The Families the NDCS help support and most of all......I thank you on behalf of My Niece Leia....I wouldnt change her for the world x