Deaf Footballer Milly's Sticker Dream Comes True

Ten-year-old Milly, who is profoundly deaf, recently had her Christmas wish fulfilled when her cochlear implant was adorned with stickers featuring her favorite football club, AFC Portchester. Milly is a passionate footballer and plays for the club's U12s Pearls girls team. Her mother, Catherine, expressed immense gratitude to the family-run business HEAROES for creating the custom stickers, noting how the company helps "make little girls' dreams come true."

Milly's journey with hearing loss began when she failed her baby hearing screening. After assessments, it was determined she had moderate to severe hearing loss, which progressed to profound deafness by age four and a half, necessitating cochlear implants. Despite initial parental concerns about her playing football due to the risk to her internal device, Milly's brother and teachers encouraged her, recognizing her exceptional talent.

Since Milly began playing with her newly branded implant, she has scored five goals for the Pearls. Her vice chairman at AFC Portchester, Graeme Moir, highlighted Milly's story as a significant contribution to the growth of ladies' and girls' football at the club. Milly considers the branded device a "lucky charm," and her mother is planning to get more stickers in different colors to match her away kit. The positive impact of HEAROES's support has been widely recognized, with a Facebook post about Milly reaching 70,000 views.

AFC Portchester is an expansive community club with approximately 40 teams. The club is currently planning to install a 3G pitch and expand its offerings for ladies' and girls' football, including women-only sessions. Milly's inspiring story is seen as a major boost to the club's efforts to grow girls' football, demonstrating how personalized support can empower young athletes.