A PROUFOUNDLY deaf Scottish teenager was won a prestigious award in recognition of the hurdles she has had to overcome to win a place at a top university.
Lucy Ritchie, from Newton Mearns, scooped the Cochlear UK Anders Tjellström Scholarship Award, which provides a grant of £6,000, in recognition of the struggles she faced to gain a place at Aberdeen's Robert Gordon University.
The 19-year-old suffers from Treacher Collins Syndrome, a genetic disorder which causes facial deformity and deafness from birth, in most cases.
Lucy was implanted with a Baha System Cochlear hearing aid, which sends external sounds to the inner ear through the bone, bypassing the outer and middle ear.
She said: "It's a really nice thing to receive as a reward. It feels like winning is saying 'well done' and it makes everything worth it. Being profoundly deaf has in no way stopped me from taking the countless opportunities I have been given, thanks to my Baha.
"I put myself forward for this scholarship as a way to show people that just because you have a hearing impairment does not stop you from achieving your aspirations or dreams. With the right attitude and a pot of determination you can succeed or do anything you want."
The student plans to save her grant until her third year, and pay for a flat while she is on placement in London.
She added: "I have lived my life beyond many people's expectations and with the contribution from the scholarship award, I can continue to do so and give people living with Treacher Collins syndrome a bit more hope for the future,"
The Anders Tjellström Scholarship Award is a unique award open to Baha System recipients in the UK, and is named after the co-inventor of the implant.
Professor Tjellström said: "To have a scholarship named after me is of course a great honour and a sign of appreciation. It is also of great importance for the general public to understand the problems of the hard of hearing.
"This is especially important for children, for their language and intellectual and social development. Lucy's story is really amazing. In spite of her many problems especially during early childhood, she has already achieved so much in her life. 'Impossible' is a word she does not understand."
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