About Living with Hearing Loss

Hi! My name is Amy and I’m a married mum of two who has High frequency/Severe hearing loss in both ears. Although I was born with hearing loss, it wasn’t diagnosed until I was nearly four when I was fitted with hearing aids. Hearing aids changed my life as I went from being a withdrawn, quiet child to being a happy and social kid who was into everything.

My parents sent me to a mainstream secondary school with a deaf unit support, which I found challenging at times for various reasons, but it allowed me to adapt a coping mechanism with my hearing friends and family. I am grateful for my journey as I’ve built up a tough resilience and adapted well in most situations.

After spending a number of years as a successful Holistic Beauty Therapist and then setting up a Holistic Beauty Clinic, I decided to become a full-time mum to my children, which shifted my ability to communicate. 

Most children groups and entertainment spaces are loud with lots of background noise making it difficult to pick out what others are saying. Parents often talk while watching their child rather than looking at you, or you are watching your child instead of looking at them, making lip reading nearly impossible. I began to struggle in a way I hadn’t for years.

That was probably the start of me being more vocal about my needs, which I hadn’t done for many years as I had just adapted and bent to accommodate the hearing world. I realised I needed to start speaking up and getting involved with raising awareness.