The Hampden Roar Awaits Brooks
The Hampden roar is famous throughout the sporting world. When Falkirk defender Leon McCann experiences it next month, it will hold special meaning. The Scottish Cup semi-final crowd will include his 11-month-old son, Brooks, who heard his parents' voices for the first time only weeks ago.
McCann and his partner, Morgan Deakin, hope their son—who recently received a cochlear implant—will be a lucky charm as John McGlynn's team aims to reach their first cup final since 2015.
Brooks’ Diagnosis and Early Hearing Aids
Brooks was three months old last April when, after four failed hearing tests, the couple learned he was profoundly deaf. The following month, he was fitted with hearing aids. While these did not enable him to hear independently, they were intended to prepare his brain for a future cochlear implant.
A cochlear implant is a device implanted under the skin during surgery that captures sound signals and transmits them to the brain, allowing hearing. However, cochlear implants are suitable only for certain deaf individuals, so Brooks underwent months of testing to determine eligibility.
The family, from East Kilbride, received life-changing news in December confirming Brooks was a candidate for the implant. In early February, he underwent surgery to have the implant fitted, and last week it was activated.
On 5 March, Brooks heard his parents' voices for the first time. The next evening, his father Leon, 25, helped Falkirk secure a 2-1 victory over Dundee United, advancing to the Scottish Cup semi-finals.
Initial Reactions and Family Reflections
Speaking to BBC Scotland News, Morgan, 24, shared their experience:
"When Brooks was diagnosed we didn't know one person that is deaf. We were like 'Wow this is brand new to us'.
We got told that Brooks was getting absolutely nothing back from the hearing tests and that he was in the bracket for being profoundly deaf so he can't hear anything even at 90 decibels.
They said if anything he would probably hear a jet engine if he was standing underneath it."
Over the following year, Brooks and his parents underwent extensive medical testing to identify the cause of his hearing loss and assess cochlear implant candidacy.
"We were told he would be fitted with hearing aids that might allow him to hear something but, more importantly, they would stimulate the auditory nerve which would be of benefit for the cochlear implant.
He was fitted with hearing aids when he was eight-weeks-old. We never really noticed any reactions.
They were super cute but sound wise he never got anything back so we proceeded with tests to see if he would be a candidate for the cochlear implant."
Brooks underwent an MRI scan in August and was referred to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock, the only facility in Scotland that fits cochlear implants. The family waited five months before meeting consultants and surgeons to proceed with the surgery.
Activation and Emotional Milestones
Following the implant surgery, Brooks is now able to hear in time for his first birthday.
"They do a month of silence after the surgery to allow the implant to settle nicely and to allow any swelling to go down.
Then the switch on was last Thursday (5 March).
They told us step by step what would happen next but nothing could have prepared me for the emotional rollercoaster.
He started off reacting to different beeps, then they altered the settings so he could hear the sounds around him which was our voices first.
We waited for so long now to watch him at eleven months old hearing us say 'hello' and 'I love you' for the first time was just surreal."
The family recorded the emotional moment on video. Brooks’ face lit up with the new sounds he was hearing. He smiled after hitting a drum and realizing he was the source of the noise.
"We weren't even upset we were just so proud and so in awe of him.
We couldn't even take it in during the moment.
He was so confused and his tiny eyebrows kept shooting up.
As soon as he can hear his face comes alive as he is thinking: 'What an earth is that?'
His wee face and eyebrows said everything - as if his brain is going a 100 miles an hour.
When he banged the drum for the first time his face lit up with a smirk then he heard music for the first time on the way home."
Upcoming Scottish Cup Semi-Final and Future Firsts
The day after Brooks heard his parents, Falkirk secured a semi-final match against Dunfermline at Hampden Park, with the winner to face Celtic or St Mirren in the final.
After an emotional week, the family looks forward to many more milestones for Brooks.
"There are so many things you take for granted with a hearing child that you wouldn't even realise.
He absolutely loves the hoover and has started chasing after it. He keeps looking back to us with amazement matching the sounds to things."
"We are all just absolutely taking it in.
We are all talking to him as much as possible, reading him books we have read every night for months before but now he can listen.
Now he'll be at all his dad's games and finally be able to hear the fans cheering.
Then in the semi-final hearing the roars from Hampden will be surreal for him and our whole family.
It makes the moment so much more special."
Support Network and Charity Work
Morgan described the early stages of their journey as isolating. As a new mother, she initially struggled to find resources but began sharing their story on social media. This led to connecting with other parents who had similar experiences and receiving outreach from families seeking help.
The couple, who are learning British Sign Language (BSL) with Brooks, have also founded a charity named B Heard. The organization supports families who may lack financial means to access resources such as BSL courses and auditory verbal therapy.
"Something we have found on this journey was there isn't much funding out here for these families.
We are lucky to be able to afford extra resources we need but I really questioned what if families aren't in this position?
How are they getting support to communicate with their children? So we started the charity to raise funds and awareness for this cause."
You can find support for the issues mentioned here.
