A MUSICIAN robbed of his sense of hearing has turned to social media in the hope that he may one day hear again.

Since he was a young boy growing up in the 1950s, Colin Williams, 69, has always had a passion for music.

A boyhood obsession with skiffle artist Lonnie Donegan led to a career as a musician and, ultimately, a producer at his own Ulverston studio.

However, over the past 10 years Mr Williams has been living in increasing silence. After confounding doctors for years he was finally diagnosed with Ménière’s disease in 2015.

It was a cruel irony for a man whose life revolved around music that the degenerative genetic condition has left Mr Williams with only around 10 per cent of his hearing left.

He said: "I think I have had this condition for perhaps 10 years but it’s very difficult for doctors to diagnose. One of the prime symptoms is vertigo, in full blown cases, and fluctuating hearing loss. Looking back, I can now recognise that I suffered from both of these on occasions but the vertigo would be very spasmodic and not last very long. Sometimes when I woke up I would find the room spinning and my balance would be all over the place, but then it would fade after an hour or so. Sometimes I would have a mild attack during the day but a few minutes rest would see it disappear so I paid it no mind."

In 2013 Mr Williams and his wife Jackie embarked on a dream retirement. After spending years learning how to sail, they weighed anchor and set off for the Caribbean, the destination - the Dominican Republic. It was a dream come true for the pair considering throughout 2012 Mr Williams successfully won a battle against an aggressive form of prostate cancer.

The unknown condition put their entire sailing adventure at risk as Mr Williams was not always able to communicate when on board.

He said: "On New Year’s Eve in 2013, and our first on board our boat, Picaroon, I had a really bad attack of vertigo, so bad that I ended up vomiting. Next day, I began an internet search and found Ménière’s which seemed to be exactly what I had been experiencing. It would be another 18 months before an ear, nose and throat doctor in Puerto Rico confirmed that I had this condition.

"It played havoc with our sailing when I was having ‘bad ear days’ as communication between us was vital but somehow, even though it was frustrating we managed to devise hand signals and gestures that seemed to work."

The worst part of his degenerating hearing was the loss of music. Over time he was no longer able to hear chords on his guitar, everything turning into a distorted sound, "like the Daleks," Mr Williams said.

During the 1960s and 70s Mr Williams found work as a musician, playing across the world from London to Lebanon. Although he never found widespread fame, he took his experience back to the Lake District, and founded his own studio in Ulverston, Southlake Studio, now called Bright Blue Studios.

Because of medical expenses, and the cost of running a boat the Williams ended up selling Picaroon. They are now appealing for help via a Go Fund Me page for Mr Williams to receive treatment, and perhaps, restore his hearing.

He said: "I don’t know if I’ll find a cure, perhaps some very high tech hearing aids will help, or even cochlear implants but whatever help I can find, I will be forever grateful to those who have supported me through their kind donations."

If you would like to contribute to Mr Williams' fund, visit www.www.gofundme.com/https-help-colin-hear-again.

If you would like to contribute to Mr Williams' fund, click here.

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