Three-year-old Amelia Swain can now hear out of both ears thanks to a cochlear implant she received earlier this month from The Hearing House.
This Friday, September 27 is a special day for the deaf community – Loud Shirt Day.
The annual fundraiser raises money for the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme and The Hearing House’s paediatric programmes – which support families, children and adults who are deaf or hard of hearing, and make all the difference for families like the Swain family in Cambridge.
After her mother contracted CMV during pregnancy – a mild viral illness which can cause deafness, three-year-old Amelia Swain was born deaf in her left ear.
The diagnosis meant her right ear could also be suddenly impacted, so the only option to achieve hearing in both ears was a cochlear implant.
Amelia, very excited about getting her “robot ear”, got to choose the colour – ruby red – as well as check out all the pieces involved.
With the help of The Hearing House’s audiologists auditory-verbal therapist Amelia was able to receive life changing results with her new cochlear implant.
Amelia is just one of many children and adults whose perception of the world is greatly improved thanks to the work of The Hearing House and the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme.
Loud Shirt Day raises funds for the organisations by encouraging the community to get loud and dress up unusually in a bright or ‘loud’ shirt.
To find out more or to register your participation in the event, visit https://www.loudshirtdaynz.org/register.
