A Little Boy Says 'Thank You'

Told he needed a tonsil operation at the age of three, Ben Grocock was terrified. So terrified, he insisted he would never speak again if the surgery went ahead. His parents brushed off his threat (he was three, after all) and the operation took place. But when Ben awoke, he stuck to what became his final word. For the next ten years he retreated into a world of silence. Until now. At 13, Ben has started talking properly for the first time – thanks to a confidence course run by his local fire brigade. Persuaded to open up on the five-day course, Ben even managed to address the audience at his ‘passing out parade’ with a hesitant ‘thank you’. It was the first time his grandparents had heard him speak since he was a toddler.

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