As a child, I always had a hearing problem, but as the years passed it got worse, and in the end I could not hear at all.

I turned out to be a very good lip reader, and ran a business with my late husband for forty years. Over the years I had tried various hearing aids with no success. About 25 years ago, a specialist came to Perth from America, and I was able to make an appointment to see him in Perth. After an examination he told my Husband that we were wasting our time, as I had nerve deafness and would never be able to hear. I was devastated, but he did say that I was marvellous to be able to lip read so well.

About three years ago, a friend told me about Prof Marcus Atlas at the (Ear Science Institute) at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth. I made an appointment to see him and after many tests I was finally fitted with hearing aids that had microchips in them. The first noise I heard was when I flushed a toilet, I didn’t know what the noise was as it was so loud, it startled me. When I went outside to meet my daughter and niece, I cried and danced, as I could hear them speaking. It was music to my ears. I was told by Prof. Atlas to only leave the hearing aids in for 3 hours a day until I got used to wearing them, but once I had them in, I wouldn’t take them out. I had to read aloud to myself for ½ hour a day, to get messages to my brain.

People could not believe that I could hear, as they had known me as a hearing impaired person for the whole of my life. Before I could hear I didn’t like to socialize, as I found it hard to lip read when there was a crowd and a lot of noise, but now it is a joy to go out and talk to people and have a conversation with them. I still cannot communicate on an ordinary telephone, but I have a phone especially for the hearing impaired, called a TTY phone which I use a lot.

I will always be indebted to my friend, and to Prof. Atlas who didn’t give up on me, and who have helped me gain my independence. The only thing I am sad about is that my late Husband never got to know that I can hear, and I never got to hear his voice.

I would like to let people know that if you have a hearing problem, never give up, go to the best specialist like I did, as the joy of hearing is indescribable.

    - Mary