A mum-of-two who lost her hearing at the age of nine and was told she'd never fit in with the hearing world has finally learnt sign language.

Claire Killacky, from Maidstone, had to go to a regular secondary school as her parents feared she wouldn't "fit in" with the hearing world if she didn't.

But now, at the age of 45, not only can she finally communicate with other deaf people she is hoping to teach others just like her and is using TikTok to spread awareness with her daughter.

Claire was able to hear when she was first born. But, her family believe her battle with meningitis caused her to lose her hearing.

She said: “I struggled my entire life to ‘fit in’ with the hearing world.

“Back in those days doctors didn’t know what to do, so I spent a lot of time at home.

“I hadn’t learnt anything, because I wasn’t at school from age nine until about 12.

“I also couldn’t hear my teachers at school. I didn’t have much help – a lady would sit next to me and take a few notes, which I hated.”

Claire grew up in Medway and attended Chapter Girls School, which closed in August 2009 and became Strood Academy. She wanted to be a hairdresser.

She remembers her careers advisor telling her she would “amount to nothing” due to her condition.

“She said I would be better on benefits and nobody would want someone deaf doing their hair,” Claire said.

“My mum bought a massive mirror, put it on the bathroom floor and sat in front of it. I had to learn how to lip-read backwards.

“I then walked around Strood High Street one afternoon and asked every hairdresser for a job.”

After some rejections, at 15 Claire was hired at Demaje, where she worked for six years.

She went on to own her own salon called Envy Hair Studio, but now works from home and looks after her children Lucy, 11 and Daniel, 16.

But recently, her struggles growing up has affected her being able to help them with school work.

“During lockdown, I was homeschooling Lucy and it wasn’t good,” she explained.

“I just felt like a failure as a mum, because I couldn’t help my eight-year-old daughter with her homework.”

Claire currently uses a cochlear implant and learned to lip-read from a young age.

“When I take the device off I can’t hear anything,” she explained. “They do make me hear a lot better – it depends on where I am though.

“If I’m in a pub, I can’t hear anything because all I can hear is everyone else.”

She added: “I had an operation for the implant when I was 15, which broke and I had it done again when I was 29.

“I then had double cochlear implants when I was 35.”

A year ago, Claire finally decided to learn British Sign Language and now attends regular classes, which are only taught by deaf teachers.

“I instantly had a connection with them,” she said. “I’ve never met a deaf person before, all my friends and family are hearing. It felt like I belonged there.

“Suddenly, I didn’t feel embarrassed to be deaf and I could be proud of it.”

Last month, her daughter Lucy had the idea of recording her progress and showing what she had learnt so far on TikTok.

The pair have posted 42 videos, each teaching one sign a day.

So far they have covered days of the week, colours and numbers.

Claire said: “We started doing TikTok to spread deaf awareness and because I always wanted to learn BSL when I was younger, but I wasn’t allowed.

“My parents said if I learnt sign language I would have to go to a deaf school and therefore only have deaf friends.

“I wouldn’t ‘fit in’ with the hearing community and be able to communicate with anyone.”

Since starting the TikTok account, the mum-of-two says she has received an abundance of positive feedback and was even stopped in the street by a follower.

“I probably get 50 or 60 messages a day from people thanking me for doing this,” she added.

“On the whole, everybody has been so supportive. I was really surprised.

“It is really nice that people want to learn.”

To check out their TikTok profile @signwclaire – click here.

Claire has now been asked by The Mall shopping centre to teach their staff basic sign language.

She also hopes that BSL will eventually be added to the school curriculum.

“It doesn’t just have to be used because you are deaf,” she explained. “You could have a silent conversation on the train when it is too busy!

“It’s more for the children. I’d like them to be in a position where they are accepted and don’t have to lip-read.

“They shouldn’t be forced into the hearing world and struggle like I did.”