The sound of jets roaring overhead, the laughter of a loved one, and even the inhale and exhale of your own breath -- these are all sounds Dave Spencer and his daughters, Tracy and Beth, could no longer hear before they received cochlear implants.

Because of a genetic condition, the Spencers went from being able to hear to being almost completely deaf by the time they reached adulthood. Thanks to the insertion of a tiny electronic device into the cochlea their hearing has been greatly restored from roughly two per cent to 96 per cent. The cochlea is a portion of the inner ear that is responsible for transmitting sound.

Dave explains the procedure was life changing, "It was like going from a world of darkness into a world of light. I had been deaf for 25 years and now I was able to communicate again with anyone."

Dr. Manohar Bance, an otolaryngologist at the QEII who, together with his coworker Dr. David Morris, has performed several hundred implants, says he's still as amazed by the technology as the patients are. "It's not just about bringing a sound back, it's about bringing back a connection to the world," he says.

The Spencers are grateful for the care they've received by Dr. Bance and the audiologists at the QEII. "Dr. Bance is one my heroes," says Beth. " He's given me this gift of being able to hear again, and I'm so thankful, especially as a single mom . There's nothing more precious than being able to walk in the door and hear my three-year-old son say,' Mommy, I love you.'"

Photo: Tracy, Dave and Beth Spencer.