A schoolboy who was left deaf in one ear after being knocked down on his way home from nursery has wowed crowds in Central Station with his incredible piano-playing abilities.
Joshua Faulks took to the keys of the famous train station piano at the weekend just a year after he first started teaching himself how to play the instrument.
The 12-year-old was left completely deaf in his right ear after being run over by an off-road vehicle in 2013. Joshua was on his way home from nursery with mum Michelle when a deaf pensioner failed to see him when pulling out of his driveway in Dundonald, Ayrshire.
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The toddler was left in a pool of blood in front of horrified onlookers before being rushed to hospital where he was treated for a basilar skull fracture. Joshua luckily made a miracle recovery but was diagnosed as deaf in one ear a year later.
The schoolboy now uses a hearing aid but has managed to master the art of piano playing by teaching himself at home and has also discovered a love of the classics.
Michelle told Glasgow Live: "He was only three at the time of the accident. We were walking home from nursery and he was only a little bit ahead of me. He was on the pavement in front of the driveway but somehow the driver didn't see him and ran over the top of him.
"I just picked him up and we drove him to the hospital. We were told he would've died if we had waited for an ambulance as he was turning blue in the back of the car. We're very fortunate not to have lost him.
"It wasn't until a year later that we were told that he was deaf in his right ear. Since the accident, he's undergone loads of assessments with one showing he's in the highest three per cent nationally for his IQ. Unfortunately, this doesn't extend to his common sense!"
Despite experiencing such a traumatic event and losing his hearing in one ear, Joshua has been able to lead a normal life and explore different hobbies. Last year, he decided to take on the piano but might just have stumbled on his life's calling in the process.
After initially teaching himself at home, his parents decided to get him piano lessons where he is learning the basics.
Michelle added: "Joshua always danced to the beat of his own drum and we've never pushed him into doing anything. He's always been good with his hands because his dad is an engineer so we had gotten him a keyboard. He wasn't too bothered with it at first but he went back to it and started playing.
"His school is great and so supportive so he's able to spend his breaks playing the music rooms.
"He's into the classics like Beethoven and Mozart. He played the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy at Glasgow Central and I think he earned about £30. We thought it would be good for his confidence to play in front of a crowd so his dad and I decided to take him up for a shot on the famous piano.
"He says that he wants to make it into a career and we're happy to support whatever he chooses."
Visit Joshua's YouTube videos here.
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