Timmy Delighted to Receive the Gift of Better Hearing

A helping hand goes a long way as one Hidden Hearing client discovered this week. 83 year old Timmy has suffered from deafness for over 30 years, his hearing issues stemming from 50 years of work in the textile industry, describing the noise conditions as “brutal”.

Timmy has tried various hearing aids over the last three decades, to almost no success, but this week that all changed for the Youghal native after a special visit to Hidden Hearing in the city centre.

Timmy was nominated by audiologist Georgina as part of the give back programme, a wellness initiative which is part of the Campaign for Better Hearing (CFBH). For every test done as part of the CFBH, Hidden Hearing will donate €8 per test completed and this fund goes towards gifting a pair of hearing devices to a person who has overcome extreme barriers in their lives. The goal is to help people to hear better again.

Timmy and his wife Philomena, who also worked in the textile factory and now herself suffers from hearing issues, have overcome many difficulties through the years. The pair have five adult children, two of whom have special needs, and who are entirely dependent on their parents for their every daily requirement.

As well as this, Timmy has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and is undergoing treatment, he also suffers from Type 2 Diabetes, both of which further compromise his hearing while Philomena suffers with chronic heart disease.

An enduring couple, Timmy and Philomena are set to celebrate their 56^th wedding anniversary this year and they also have the return of their son, after 15 years in America, to look forward to in June. Speaking on his hearing struggles, the avid bird collector said: “I’ve kept racing pigeons all my life, I was walking down the field one day and I saw a flock of birds and I couldn’t hear them singing and it was then that I realised that I had hearing problems. I would like to thank my wife and the lady here in front of me, Georgina, for all her help. I’d really like to thank Hidden Hearing for presenting me with these hearing aids, today is a wonderful experience.”

Timmy Fitzgerald pictured his wife Philomena Fitzgerald and Gerogina Hawkeworth (Audiologist) Hidden Hearing Cork. Picture: Richard Coleman / Aperture Photograph

Hearing Aid Audiologist Georgina, who recalls she was unable to have a conversation with Timmy when she first met him, explains his hearing issues: “Timmy has had profound loss for a very long time. He has a very sharp high frequency loss, which means that he is deprived of clarity. When Timmy goes in to a background noise situation, he will struggle to get the edges of words and the sharpness of the conversation, so the hearing aids that he had were giving him more volume.

“The hearing aid we have fitted him with is an instrument that is going to reintroduce the clarity to him, it will also suppress the background noise to a much more manageable level while keeping it natural and giving clarity so he can have a conversation comfortably. It’s very suitable for him, he is involved in the GAA club, he has the birds, he likes to socialise with friends, it will give him lots of benefits.”

Georgina herself, embarked on a career in audiology, as it was an issue close to her heart: “One of my grandparents had a profound hearing loss so I witnessed first-hand how that affected the family and him as a person. When eventually, he took care of the issue, his life was so enhanced, and we could all see how much more comfortable everyone was and how much more involved as an individual he was.”

Georgina hopes that Timmy’s fitting is the first step in a new chapter for him and his wife: “I would dearly love to see Timmy taken care of and some element of comfort restored to his life. They have, in the past when it was financially possible for them, both been patients and supporters of Hidden Hearing for their hearing requirements. They are genuinely very engaging and likeable individuals and would be well deserved recipients of some element of good luck and comfort in their twilight years.”

You can now also nominate a person you feel could benefit from having a hearing test & that could be selected to receive a free pair of hearing devices through the Campaign for Better Hearing Give Back Programme. All you need to do is email: nominations@hiddenhearing.ie and in the body of the email give your name, number, address and your nominees name, number and address & please write a brief summary of why you would like to nominate that person for a free hearing test and potentially a free pair of hearing devices.

For more information about the Campaign for Better Hearing is available please visit www.campaignforbetterhearing.ie. You can also call 1890804050 for more information.