Health

Video captures 40-year-old woman hearing for the first time

By Ryan Jaslow

March 28, 2014 / 1:48 PM EDT / CBS News

Joanne Milne, of Great Britain, was overcome with emotion when her cochlear implants were turned on, and she was able to hear for the first time

Woman born deaf hears for first time - caught on video 00:32

An amazing caught-on-tape moment shows a 40-year-old British woman who had been deaf her whole life hearing for the first time.

Joanne Milne was deaf due to Usher syndrome, a genetic condition that causes hearing loss but also affects vision. About 3 to 6 percent of children who are deaf have the syndrome, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

After being fitted with two cochlear implants, friend Tremayne Crossley posted a YouTube video of Milne hearing the days of the week read to her -- the first words she'd ever heard.

"The switch-on was the most emotional and overwhelming experience of my life and I'm still in shock now," she told the BBC.

Watch above as she's overcome with emotion from hearing for the first time.

Ryan Jaslow

Ryan Jaslow is CBSNews.com's health editor.

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