Finn Johnson, says 'mum' for the first time after pioneering brain implant Finn Johnson was born with no auditory or balance nerves between his brain and ear Profoundly deaf, the condition can also affect speech and development Tot given lifeline in form of pioneering brainstem implant surgery in Italy after local fundraising campaign Every child's first word is special, but when Finn Johnson called out 'mam' it was a momentous milestone. Because just 14 months ago, the youngster was unable to hear or speak and preparing to have an operation which would give Finn the gift of hearing and speech. He and his parents travelled to Italy where he underwent a pioneering brainstem implant, becoming what was believed to be then the youngest person to have the treatment in the world. Finn pictured playing at home with his parents Natalie and Nathan Within a month of the surgery, the youngster was able to hear his parents" voice for the first time and he has now spoken his first word. His grateful mother Natalie Nixon, 24, said: 'Finn is doing really well now. He's just said his first word "Mam" and we've videoed it! It's wonderful.' Finn was born in January 2011, and was quickly diagnosed as being profoundly deaf. Brain scans revealed he lacked important hearing and balance nerves. Finn is thought to be the youngest person in the world to have pioneering brainstem implant surgery He was diagnosed at Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder - which means his hearing organ, hearing nerve and brain are not synched together, so any hearing is distorted or absent. The family found the only chance of an auditory brain stem surgery was in Italy and had to raise money to pay for the £40,000 operation. Thanks to the generosity of Teessiders and donors, the youngster from Hardwick underwent the surgery, but fundraising is continuing to pay for follow-up treatment. Finn, now two-and-a-half, attends Little Ladybirds Day Nursery in Stockton where staff and children held a charity event raising £1,000 for the ongoing Fight for Finn campaign. Natalie said: 'We're so grateful for all the people who have contributed to his fund. We now intend to use funds to take Finn to the John Tracy Clinic in America - possibly next year, or the year after - for intensive speech therapy in their summer programme. Dad Nathan Johnson, 25, added: 'Our family and supporters are so grateful for this continuing help. At the nursery, the children took part in different activities each day, including making and selling cakes and painting portraits of themselves to sell to their parents. Manager Catherine Mason said: 'Finn is a very popular boy who's a delight to have at the nursery and we would like to thank all those who supported such a worthwhile cause.' Finn still needs more funds to cover therapy which is not covered on the NHS, after his private operation. Visit the website: www.thefightforfinn.co.uk Making progress: Fundraising continues so Finn can go on an intensive speech therapy course in America next year Around 1,000 people in the world have auditory brain stem implants, which were first used in humans in 1979. Only a handful of surgeons around the world perform the complex neurological procedure. It involves surgeons implanting a microchip into the patient's brain stem so they can recognise and process sound. The technology is similar to that of a cochlear implant - using electrical stimulation - the brain stem implant uses electrical impulses to stimulate the brain, rather than the cochlea. Most recipients of the implant only have an awareness of sound. It's described as being able to hear the beat, but not the melody. After being implanted, the device needs to be reprogrammed by specialists regularly as electrodes can overlap with other parts of the brain stem, causing tingling in other parts of the body.