Four-year-old Darcy’s parents say the accuracy of recent storylines has struck a chord with them
Abigayle Henderson with her partner Joe Kidd and Darcy in Trafalgar Square after Joe completed the London Marathon for the National Deaf Children’s Society.(Image: National Deaf Children’s Society.)
An East Yorkshire family whose daughter has diagnosed with hearing loss have praised children’s show Peppa Pig for helping their daughter to realise that deafness is no barrier to a full and fun life.
Peppa Pig has been a firm favourite in the Henderson-Kidd household for some time, with the family enjoying all the porkers’ popular storylines. But it is the recent storyline in which George Pig has been diagnosed with moderate hearing loss that particularly struck a chord.
For Joe Kidd and Abigayle Henderson’s little girl Darcy Henderson-Kidd, aged four, also has hearing loss. Darcy was diagnosed with bilateral mixed moderate hearing loss after initially passing her newborn hearing screening. There is no history of deafness in the Howden family, but her parents became concerned when she began showing speech and language delays, which led to a referral to audiology.
After her hearing loss deteriorated, Darcy was fitted with hearing aids in November 2024, resulting in immediate improvements in her awareness of sound and speech development. With support from audiology, speech and language therapy and a Teacher of the Deaf, Darcy is now thriving at preschool and getting ready to start school with an EHCP in place.
Her experience has been reflected in Peppa Pig episodes which begin airing on Channel 5’s Milkshake! this week, in which George Pig is diagnosed with moderate hearing loss. The National Deaf Children’s Society charity hopes the storyline will encourage parents to recognise the signs of hearing loss and seek support early.
And the story has captivated Darcy, who is confident, creative, sociable, kind and loving, and adores her hearing aids. She was over the moon when she watched the recent episodes in which George Pig is given his hearing aids.
Her proud parents thanked Peppa Pig programme makers for showing everyone how help is at hand, and told how they too have had lots of support.
Abigayle, a nurse, said: “Peppa Pig is a big show in our house. Darcy loves it. But I think the recent episodes that have come out have been so special to us. When she watched that episode of Peppa Pig, she just lit up and for us as a family, that’s our every day. I feel like the way they portrayed the actual hearing test was very, very accurate. Darcy was really concentrating on it.
“It also gives that representation for children like Darcy and makes her feel included. And because it was so accurate, it shows other children what children like Darcy go through, so the accuracy of it for me is really important. Explaining it to a child is difficult, but for them to watch it makes a lot more sense to them. It’s really clever that they’ve done it this way as well.”
Abigayle recalled Darcy’s diagnosis and how she now embraces life with help from her pink sparkly hearing aids.
She said: “Darcy is funny, creative and kind. She loves painting, role-play, dancing and being imaginative. She has lots of friends – people really warm to her – and she’s a wonderful big sister to Polly. As she grew older, I started to notice issues with her speech.
“When she was around two, she struggled to repeat words. In June 2024, Darcy was referred to speech and language therapy. At the same time, I pushed hard for an audiology referral.
“Five months later, when Darcy was two and a half, she finally had her hearing test. I knew almost as soon as the test started that something was wrong. I could hear the beeps, but Darcy wasn’t responding. About ten minutes in, I started crying and asked to stop the test because I could see how badly she was struggling. The audiologist looked at me and told me Darcy definitely had hearing loss.”
When she was fitted with her hearing aids the same November weekend as her mum’s birthday, the results were immediate.
“The audiologists asked us all to be silent while the hearing aids went in; then she signalled for us to speak,” she recalled. “She wanted to be sure the first voices Darcy heard were ours. Darcy’s face just lit up. She could hear me clearly for the first time, and she gave me the biggest smile I’d ever seen. We were all crying. That moment will stay with me forever. It was a very special birthday present.
“Darcy’s hearing loss was initially described as mild, then moderate, and then moderate to severe in April last year but she has taken it all in her stride – and still does. She wears her pink sparkly phonak sky marvel hearing aids proudly. She genuinely loves them! She asks for them, and at times when she can’t wear them – like in hospital – she gets upset and tells people she wants them back in.”
Abigayle joked that life has been imitating art in the Peppa Pig programme, with several storylines mirrored by the Howden family.
She said: “There’s been another storyline recently that Daddy Pig’s preparing for the London Marathon. Joe, Darcy’s dad, did the London half marathon for the National Deaf Children’s Society, who are an incredible charity, and he was planning on doing the London Marathon this year, but he’s got an injury. I was pregnant at the same time as Mummy Pig was having the new baby – and she had the baby at the same time as I was due. So I actually feel like we are the Peppa Pig family.”
The couple have recently learned that nine month-old Polly is likely to have hearing loss too. However, their experience with Darcy and her boundless confidence gives them hope that Polly too will take it all in her stride.
She added: “It’s still sad in some regards, but I feel so much more prepared, positive, looking at Darcy, how incredible she is, that Polly’s going to be absolutely fine, and that she’s also going to thrive and still be able to do exactly what all the other children can do.”
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