A profoundly deaf patient who became a global hit when she was recorded getting her hearing back has thanked the “absolutely fantastic” team at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB) who made it possible.

Joanne Milne became a viral sensation when her mother filmed the moment that both her cochlear implants were switched on for the first time last week.

The 39-year-old, from Gateshead in the North East, burst into tears after Midlands Hearing Implant Programme Manager and audiological scientist Louise Craddock recited the days of the week.

Joanne had been profoundly deaf since birth as a result of the rare condition, Usher Syndrome, which also caused her eyesight to deteriorate from her mid-20s.

She has been struggling to hear with the help of hearing aids, but that also deteriorated in recent years to the stage where she needed implants.

Joanne, who returned to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Audiology Centre for follow-up tests, said of the past week: “It has been overwhelming and still hasn’t sunk in.

“It has been a life-long ambition to raise awareness of this condition as not many people have heard of Usher. But I never thought that this little clip would get all this attention.

“It was just supposed to be a personal video for friends and family but I am just glad that all this awareness has happened.

“I feel as though my personal journey has been shown around the world. I have had people in America and Australia saying they’ve seen it, and even someone in Bangladesh.”

Joanne, who said her mum Ann was more nervous than she was when her cochlear implants were switched on, said she could already hear much better in a week.

She added: “I can tell already it’s all going to come quite naturally.

“I heard that Birmingham was one of the best in the country and it was recommended by a lady in Sheffield, which is where I was living at the time.

“Everyone here has been absolutely fantastic and made me feel very comfortable throughout every step of the way.”

The Queen Elizabeth Audiology Centre is one of only 20 centres in the UK which boasts a cochlear implant programme.

Louise Craddock said: “For anyone who has been deaf all her life and has longstanding hearing loss, her adaptation to cochlear implants has been quick. She already has a lot of hearing benefit and is picking up sounds at quite a quiet level.

“She made good use of her residual hearing with hearing aids, but her hearing has deteriorated in recent years to the point that she no longer received adequate benefit from them. As she is registered blind, Joanne was able to receive implants in both ears.”