We love it when people share their hearing loss stories with us on social media. Our community often provides comfort, encouragement, inspiration and support for others in similar situations.
Recently we connected with one of our Instagram friends who we think has a wonderful story to share. I had the opportunity to chat with Kellie, the mom of 7-month-old Gabby, about a video she shared with us. This is their story:
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Jill: Thanks for connecting with us on Instagram! Can you tell us a bit more about Gabby’s hearing loss?
Kellie: While we were in the hospital when Gabriella was born, she failed both hearing screenings. After that we took her to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital for another screening and two Baer tests, all of which came back showing that she was profoundly deaf in both ears.
Hearing aids can be scary to someone who doesn’t know how they work. So with Halloween just around the corner, we think it’s the perfect opportunity to show kids and their friends that hearing aids are cool!
At Phonak, we are committed to fighting the stigma attached to hearing loss, to tearing down barriers for the hearing-impaired and to finding new and innovative ways to help everyone reconnect to the beauty of sound. We also know that individuals play a strong role in breaking down those stigmas.
To celebrate those in our community who are being open and proud of their hearing situations, we’ve teamed up with some of our favorite Instagrammers, and asked them to capture their personality and signature looks, and show us what it really means to live with hearing loss.
Last week, we featured 20-year-old Eloise Garland, a music student from the UK.
She is an inspiration to many people – especially teens – with hearing loss, both in what she’s accomplished in her personal life, as well as the unique way she shows of her hearing aids with cool stickers and decorations that she sells on her Etsy.com store, Rainbow Tubes.
You can share your story with us too using the hashtag #lifeison on Instagram! Together we can break down the stigmas of hearing loss.
“I grew up in the countryside and, even as a student in London, I enjoy taking the opportunity to get out of the city and find a good mountain to climb! Even on mountain walks I’ll never miss an opportunity to raise deaf awareness, and Phonak’s mascot, Leo the Lion, is always a good talking point with the people I meet along the way! I recently took him on up a very windy mountain in the Lake District National Park, in England.”
“I first noticed that I couldn’t hear myself when I was about 11 during a choir practice. It turns out I was losing the overtones, which are the frequencies that make the music sparkle. When I first got my hearing aids I was very self-conscious and avoided wearing them. I struggled up until college when I got fitted with Phonak hearing aids.”
“I have three beautiful cats and had never heard them purr until one of the cats decided to lie on top of my Roger Pen! Now I use it all the time to hear their quirky noises and purring. After all, why put limits on who can use the Roger Pen?!”
“I really enjoy taking the time to listen to music and read a book in the evenings, usually with a nice cup of tea. Reading a good book and listening to music transports me to another world and is my main way of unwinding at the end of a busy day. This picture shows one of my favourite books, Pride and Prejudice, with my Roger Pen connected to my iPhone… and of course, a lovely cup of tea!”
“My driving license is something that I worked hard for, and for me it is a huge mark of independence. I enjoy driving and regularly go out to beautiful areas of North Wales such as Snowdonia and the ‘Evo Triangle’ for the fun of it. Hearing the noise of the engine is important to me as it helps me to get the best out of the driving experience, and my hearing aids enable me to do just that.”
“I have enjoyed baking since I was a child when my mum and I would bake scones, Bara Brith (Welsh fruit bread), and carrot cake. Although it can get a bit messy, my hearing aids can stand up to pretty much everything in the kitchen!”
“As a student, socializing is important to me, whether it is going out to events or just having some dinner at home with my friends. My hearing aids help me to keep up with conversation, and using total communication (a mixture of sign and speech where needed) makes life even easier. This photo is of me and two deaf friends at a picnic using sign and speech to communicate.”
