Nicola’s parents share the impact of Hear For You
Nicola had severe to profound hearing loss and had her first Cochlear implant at 18 months old in Sydney by Prof Gibson. Nicola had a big support system in Sydney through The Cochlear Centre, she also went to the preschool that was part of the Royal institute for the Deaf and Blind Society. After that Nicola went to St Gabriel’s School (Catholic school for deaf children). Nicola communicated orally and with Auslan at St Gabriel’s. We had to leave at the end of year 4 as we had to relocate to Brisbane due to work commitments. Nicola ended up going to Warrigal Road state primary school in Brisbane. Through all the support Nicola was getting, she was struggling to understand and keep up with her piers. It was a year after we arrived that Nicola ended up getting her second cochlear implant. It has been an on going battle with Nicola’s language and no one has been able to guide us and let us know why she has been struggling in this way.
Nicola does not have many friends and due to Nicola’s age and language ability, she struggles to fit in. She spends most of her time reading, listening to her music and drawing. Nicola also enjoys photography and enjoys been out in the Australian bush.
Then fortunately we enrolled Nicola into a few of “The Hear for You” workshops since they started in Brisbane. She has always enjoyed them and fitted in well. Each experience and understanding of the experience has been different for Nicola and as she matures and develops the more relevant they have become for her. It helps Nicola to realize that she is not the only one with these challenges and there are other people her age with similar problems and many of the mentors have been in similar situations as Nicola, therefore can relate to her frustrations. The Mentor’s have been amazing! The program is inclusive and very accepting. They communicate with Nicola from a teenage level and not from a parent or teacher. The mentors are an inspiration for Nicola, showing her that she has the right to be a valued part of our society just like everyone else and if she searches hard enough she will also have an exciting future to look forward to.
Thank you to “The Hear For You” team for your valuable time and support and positive influence’s that you play in our children’s lives!
