Angela's story, Wellington NSW
Angela's parents Mick and Corrie are happy for us to share her story as they hope it inspires you to spread the word about how important regular hearing testing is. They feels that if Angela had regular testing her hearing would have been picked up years earlier and her learning would not have suffered. Mick and Corrie hope you are inspired by her story.
Angela's journey started in 2014. She was 12 when we picked up her serious otitis media condition and moderate hearing loss. She was in a special needs support class at Wellington Public School. The Learning and Support Teacher, Leeanne Lee, knew there had to be another reason behind Angela's learning and severe speech problems, so she organised a hearing test when we visited the school in August 2014. This hearing test (pictured above with Audiometrist Gordon Rutter) was the start of a long journey ahead for her and her family.
Angela's parents Mick and Corrie are happy for us to share her story as they hope it inspires you to spread the word about how important regular hearing testing is. They feels that if Angela had regular testing her hearing would have been picked up years earlier and her learning would not have suffered. Mick and Corrie hope you are inspired by her story.
Angela's journey started in 2014. She was 12 when we picked up her serious otitis media condition and moderate hearing loss. She was in a special needs support class at Wellington Public School. The Learning and Support Teacher, Leeanne Lee, knew there had to be another reason behind Angela's learning and severe speech problems, so she organised a hearing test when we visited the school in August 2014. This hearing test (pictured above with Audiometrist Gordon Rutter) was the start of a long journey ahead for her and her family.
Audiometrist Gordon showed us with the video otoscope (middle picture) how Angela's eardrums were sucked back so severely around her bones that they were almost protruding through the eardrum! He said to Leeanne Lee, "well there's your answer to her speech and learning problems!"
Gordon asked Angela if she was in pain. She said no, but kept trying to pop her eardrums by clicking her jaw. Becuase of this, Gordon suggested Angela's middle ear health would have been like this for years and her hearing would not have been normal all of this time!
Understandably, Angela's parents Mick and Corrie were equally as shocked as we were. They said her last hearing test was in 2009 when Wellington Aboriginal Medical Service visited the school test Pre School children. This was when she was 4 years old. Angela had a few glue ear issues around this time but this was being monitored and improved. They thought her hearing issues had finished.
School was a struggle for Angela and eventually she needed to be in a Support Class. Never in this time did anyone question could it be her hearing! Why? *There was never any ear pus or sore ears.
*Glue ear is such a silent and non painful disease.
*There was noone to test the older children at school anyway!
Urgent medical advice happended so quickly with teamwork
Gordon asked Angela if she was in pain. She said no, but kept trying to pop her eardrums by clicking her jaw. Becuase of this, Gordon suggested Angela's middle ear health would have been like this for years and her hearing would not have been normal all of this time!
Understandably, Angela's parents Mick and Corrie were equally as shocked as we were. They said her last hearing test was in 2009 when Wellington Aboriginal Medical Service visited the school test Pre School children. This was when she was 4 years old. Angela had a few glue ear issues around this time but this was being monitored and improved. They thought her hearing issues had finished.
School was a struggle for Angela and eventually she needed to be in a Support Class. Never in this time did anyone question could it be her hearing! Why? *There was never any ear pus or sore ears.
*Glue ear is such a silent and non painful disease.
*There was noone to test the older children at school anyway!
Urgent medical advice happended so quickly with teamwork
Within 3 days of Angela being picked up at school, we arranged and attended with her family to see our local Dubbo Ear Specialist Dr Ridha. He checked her middle ear health and shared our same concerns. She also had another hearing test while she was there which confirmed our diagnosis.
We returned to see Dr Ridha 2 days later for more specialised diagnostic hearing testing and discuss surgery for grommets. Dr Ridha said the grommets would relieve the severe negative pressure in her middle ears that was making her eardrums stick to the bones.
Dr Ridha conatcted the hospital and asked for her to be urgent surgery for five weeks time. Mick and Corrie are so thankful for Dr Ridhas' support.
Next step, the following week, was to attend Hearing Australia for hearing aid candidacy.
Angela had diagnostic testing with Paediatric Audiologist Abin James. Her hearing was low enough to get hearing aids so Mick and Angela chose to proceed. She had a mould fitting and the hearing aids were ordered for us to return in 2 weeks to be fitted.
We returned to see Dr Ridha 2 days later for more specialised diagnostic hearing testing and discuss surgery for grommets. Dr Ridha said the grommets would relieve the severe negative pressure in her middle ears that was making her eardrums stick to the bones.
Dr Ridha conatcted the hospital and asked for her to be urgent surgery for five weeks time. Mick and Corrie are so thankful for Dr Ridhas' support.
Next step, the following week, was to attend Hearing Australia for hearing aid candidacy.
Angela had diagnostic testing with Paediatric Audiologist Abin James. Her hearing was low enough to get hearing aids so Mick and Angela chose to proceed. She had a mould fitting and the hearing aids were ordered for us to return in 2 weeks to be fitted.
We returned and Abin fitted her with her new hearing aids. The look on her face when they were switched on for the first time was priceless. She didn't realise that shoes make a sound when you walk on carpet!!! Angela's world of hearing had just been opened up.
The pics below show her getting her new aids
The pics below show her getting her new aids
October 2014 - Angela's grommet surgery was a success.
So, the next step was to go back to Hearing Australia to see if her hearing had improved and adjust her hearing aids accordingly. The surgery helped improve her middle ear health which improved her conductive hearing loss, however they discovered that Angela had a pemrmanent hearing loss as well. As her eardrums were stuck to the bones, this was hiding the permanent hearing loss.
Because of Angela's complex hearing, speech and learning concerns we referred her to the Department of Education Hearing Teachers. Angela qualified for a Teacher of the Deaf to come to her school and teach her a specialised program to help fill her learning gaps. Mick and Corrie were thrilled as they were worried how Angela would cope going into high school in 2015.
Because of Angela's complex hearing, speech and learning concerns we referred her to the Department of Education Hearing Teachers. Angela qualified for a Teacher of the Deaf to come to her school and teach her a specialised program to help fill her learning gaps. Mick and Corrie were thrilled as they were worried how Angela would cope going into high school in 2015.
December 2014, more ear health trouble.
Even though Angela and her family were vigilant in keeping her ears dry in water by using earplugs, her grommets became blocked with middle ear fluid in a month. Her conductive hearing loss got worse. This was detected by us when we visited the school for their routine follow up 3 monthly visits.
So, it was back to Dr Ridha again. He booked her for more grommets early 2015 as her eardrums had become retracted again.
December 2014, more ear health trouble.
Even though Angela and her family were vigilant in keeping her ears dry in water by using earplugs, her grommets became blocked with middle ear fluid in a month. Her conductive hearing loss got worse. This was detected by us when we visited the school for their routine follow up 3 monthly visits.
So, it was back to Dr Ridha again. He booked her for more grommets early 2015 as her eardrums had become retracted again.
Angela's story has been an inspiration to so many schools
It highlights that struggling children being considered for a special needs class should have their ears and eyes tested first as having vision or hearing problem affects their learning significantly. Angela's school learnt from her experince and are now very passionate about spreading this message to help other schools.
Learning and Support Teacher, Leeanne Lee also joined the volunteer Hear our Heart committee.
Mick and Corrie are so thankful for the Hear our Heart Ear Bus Project. They hope it helps you to spread the word of how important regualr hearing testing is as hearing loss can be so easily missed.
It highlights that struggling children being considered for a special needs class should have their ears and eyes tested first as having vision or hearing problem affects their learning significantly. Angela's school learnt from her experince and are now very passionate about spreading this message to help other schools.
Learning and Support Teacher, Leeanne Lee also joined the volunteer Hear our Heart committee.
Mick and Corrie are so thankful for the Hear our Heart Ear Bus Project. They hope it helps you to spread the word of how important regualr hearing testing is as hearing loss can be so easily missed.
