A HEARTWARMING video shows a little boy who was born deaf dancing for the first time after receiving an 'astounding' injection giving the ability to hear. The boy was one of five deaf children to receive the treatment that restored hearing in both ears. 2 A little boy given a groundbreaking gene therapy was able to hear music and dance for the first time Credit: Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai 2 He was deaf prior to the injection, suffering from a form of inherited deafness called DFNB9 Credit: Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai As part of a clinical trial at the Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai, China - conducted in partnership with Mass General Brigham Eye and Ear researchers - the kids were given a novel gene therapy designed to target a form of inherited deafness called DFNB9.
After being treated in both their ears, the children were able to hear for the first time, perceiving speech and were sounds came from. One of those was a little boy, who couldn't hear anything before being given the injection. A heartwarming video filmed 15 weeks after the injection shows the tot dancing to 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star', waving his hands round in excitement.
The clip also shows the little boy responding to sounds from different directions, wheeling around and almost losing his balance. The little boy also began to understand some words in the weeks after receiving his treatment, trying to say 'Baba' - the word for Daddy - and 'Ay.
