Hear and SayOpening Worlds

This is a wish for any mother. Eight-year-old Charlie is an all-rounder and is always up for a challenge with a love for hockey, rugby, swimming, soccer, chess and stem activities.

When Charlie was six years old, he had an accident, falling out of a tree and suffering a head injury, with fractures to the bones in his middle and inner ear. This left Charlie with a profound hearing loss on his left side, a diagnosis his family were not expecting.

For Jacqueline, as a mum, it was fair to say they were bewildered and shocked. They had no idea what this diagnosis meant for Charlie or how they would help him. They had no real understanding about the path we were about to travel.

During this time, the family said Hear and Say was pivotal in presenting information, answering their questions, arming them as parents to support Charlie and advocating for him. They said, “Hear and Say made us brave.”

Just months after receiving his cochlear implant, Charlie was able to understand conversational language through the device and was eager to do his listening homework so he could directly stream the TV to his cochlear implant.

At times, it was emotional and daunting but in hindsight so much smoother than the family originally anticipated. Charlie’s love of sport has helped in his recovery and resilience. He throws himself into any sport or challenge that he can, and now this includes his hearing journey. It was important to parents, Jacqueline and Matthew, that their son be connected to the world of sound. They wanted to enable him to be who he was always going to be. They never wanted to take anything away from Charlie. Reconnecting him with the world of bilateral sound allowed him to continue to engage with friends, to confidently participate in sport and to maintain his passion for learning like he previously has. It gives Charlie the opportunity to be in charge of his learning and where that will take him in the future.

This Mothers Day, Jacqueline plans to enjoy time with the kids who will make breakfast in bed, featuring French toast in the shape of a heart, followed by a day spending time together as family.

Hear and Say, located in Ashgrove

Hear and Say is a local not-for-profit organisation founded over 30 years ago and specialise in supporting families whose child has been diagnosed with a permanent hearing loss. This is through three core service areas; hearing screening, audiology and speech pathology.

Every year, Hear and Say serves over 17,500 people, including 1,500 clients with a permanent hearing loss. They work with families so that their children can become great communicators, confident within themselves and capable of achieving success on their own terms. Hear and Say also provides services that support broader physical, emotional and social development.

Recently, Hear and Say has expanded their service offering to include speech therapy for children who might be experiencing speech and language delays.

To find out more or book an appointment visit hearandsay.org.au or phone 07 3850 2111.