Born deaf, he can hear at 11 thanks to gene therapy

A child born deaf has recovered his hearing thanks to gene therapy. Aissam Dam, 11, grew up in Morocco surrounded by silence, expressing himself with a sign language of his own invention. His family moved to Spain last year and, during a visit to a medical specialist, they were told that Aissam Dam might qualify for a clinical trial with the gene therapy.

Last October, the New York Times reports, Aissam Dam underwent treatment at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and became the first person to get gene therapy for congenital deafness. The treatment was successful, allowing Aissam Dam to learn about the world of sounds. “There’s not a sound I don’t like,” the boy told the New York Times.