A DEAF teenager who became Britain's first child to have a "bionic ear" operation has given new hope to other profoundly deaf youngsters.

Frances Kotek, now 16, of Skipwith, was fitted with a cochlear implant when she was only four-and-a-half years old.

Today she can communicate much like any other girl of her age, and is working towards a career in sport.

Her successful operation resulted in her playing a major role this week at an information day to help parents of young children with severe hearing difficulties.

Frances and her mother, Suzan, 48, and father, Joe, 46, were special guests at a medical seminar organised by the national charity, The Ear Foundation, in Nottingham.

York College sport student Frances talked to parents of profoundly deaf children from across the UK about her own experience and how the operation had enhanced her life as well as that of her family.

She is now able to do what most other teenagers take for granted.

Frances said: "The operation has made a massive difference to my life. I can visit friends and speak to them on the phone, as well as watch TV and listen to radio.

"I haven't made up my mind yet what I want to do when I leave college, but I know it will be something in sport."

Mr and Mrs Kotek have spent every available hour of every day teaching her how to interpret sounds and language.

Mrs Kotek said: "It takes an astonishing length of time to help deaf children understand language and what things are.

"We've played lots of games with her over the years, and we've had stickers all over the house, trying to stimulate her imagination.

"Frances will be learning for the rest of her life, but she says the implant enables her to be in both worlds. If she wants to talk, she can talk, if she wants to sign, she can sign."

Frances's implant takes sounds into a hearing aid device behind the ear, and changes them into an electrical signal.

The signal is then sent along the cochlea to the brain, which turns the signal back into sound.

Updated: 10:17 Saturday, November 15, 2003