From being a qualified children’s librarian to sharing literature with families and professionals, a love of words has shaped both Bernadette’s personal and professional life.
Bernadette was born deaf before the Newborn Hearing Screening was introduced, and diagnosed with hearing loss at the age of four years old.
“Born hard of hearing, I got by with my limited hearing and, over the years, I taught myself to lip read,” she said.
However, after noticing a slow but gradual decrease in her hearing as she got older, Bernadette started to look into hearing aids as an option.
![Bernadette In Blossoms](https://www.hearandsay.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Bernadette-in-blossoms-1300x460.png)
“I was struggling to hear in noisy situations and hear people speak in low/quiet tones. I wanted to preserve what hearing I did have, with the assistance of hearing aids,” she said.
After searching for a provider for hearing aids and trying a couple of places, Bernadette was excited to find out that Hear and Say was now offering hearing tests and hearing aids for adults.
“My first appointment, I was very nervous. I was not sure what to expect. The audiologist was very understanding, explaining every step of the way what she was doing. I was in awe to see the setup at Hear and Say,” said Bernadette.
Bernadette was initially hesitant about wearing hearing aids due to the stigma of wearing them but a chance encounter with one of Hear and Say’s young clients changed her outlook.
“My problem was my ‘hang up’ about wearing aids. I thought people would treat me differently,” she said.
“When I visited Hear and Say, I sat waiting for my appointment in the reception area. Suddenly, a door opened and out walked a young boy. As he walked past me, I saw he had a hearing aid behind his ear.
“He looked at me and smiled a brilliant smile. I smiled back and said to myself, if this little boy is brave enough to wear a hearing aid, then so am I.”
Now fitted with hearing aids, Bernadette credits them with significantly enhancing her quality of life.
“I wish I had done it years ago! It has changed my life and now I do not leave the house without them,” said Bernadette.
“I enjoy social settings so much more now. With volume adjustments, I can moderate the aids to suit the occasion.”