A mum who told her deaf daughter she was too young to have her ears pierced invented earrings which can be attached to her hearing aid – and has now turned it into a business.
Claire Wilkinson was against her daughter Zahra having her ears pierced – because she’s only eight.
Zahra has roughly 60 to 70 per cent hearing loss in both ears and has been been classed as moderately to severely deaf since the age of three.
Her attempts to simply dangle her own earring off of Zahra’s ears failed miserably so she used her jewellery skills to come up with a solution.
Claire made a pair of earrings to fit over her hearing aid and Zahra was so pleased with her new jewellery that Mrs Wilkinson has since made several more models.
She has even started her own business which is taking off with orders from as far afield as America.
Claire, of Wiveliscombe, Somerset, said: “Zahra came to me one day and said ‘oh my friends have got their ears pierced I want my ears pierced.’
“She’s only eight so I felt it was too young.
“I got a pair of my earrings and hooked them over her hearing aids, but they didn’t stay on when she started running around.
“So I began to wonder if I could make some that did stay on.
“She had a look and picked out some beads and charms she liked. We figured out to use a ring to go over the tube part of the hearing aid.
“I’ve got a jewellery making kit, so I got it out and made some to hook over the tube in her ear.
“Zahra helped design the first pair. She thought it was great – this was the next best thing and she loved them. I think it’s given Zahra more confidence.”
The earrings cost £5 and come in a range of designs.
“People can tell me what they like and I’ll adapt them,” she added. “Zahra has five or six different pairs now and her sister Heidi aged six says she wants some earrings now.”
Claire’s new business venture can be found on her dedicated Facebook page – Zaza Rings.