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81-year-old Terry Griffin has endured multiple accidents and injuries throughout his life, causing him to lose most of his hearing

A sporty, adventurous and lively 81-year-old, had noticed his hearing ability deteriorating after a near-fatal car crash in November of 2017, and a regular check-up at his local branch in Artane confirmed that. Terry and his wife, Eileen, credit the team at Hidden Hearing’s Artane branch for helping to put his life back together again.

Terry and Eileen’s car crash, in which his car flipped and rolled, skidding across black ice ultimately escalated his hearing loss. The shocking incident significantly damaged Terry’s physical and emotional health also. Terry recalls thinking neither of the two would survive the crash and the shock of it affected Terry’s hearing health. Unfortunately for Terry, this serious car accident was not the first time he was unlucky on the roads- he crashed his bike in 1966 during a ten-day cycling race, leaving him unconscious for ten days with a fractured skull. He has also had two heart stints fitted and a hip replacement so all of these incidents began to take their toll on his hearing and confidence.

Eileen noted that this strained hearing caused her to constantly shout and repeat herself when talking to her husband, and she became exhausted from this. His hearing also impacted the way he socialised, and he withdrew because he found it so hard to hear in group situations.

After being selected as a candidate for Hidden Hearing’s “Give Back” community scheme, things have since improved immensely for both Terry and Eileen.

 Terry says; “I am so grateful to Teodora the audiologist in Hidden Hearing Artane for nominating me to be part of this campaign. I would not be here speaking to you now if it weren’t for the amazing technology in these hearing devices. From having been hospitalised after my cycling accident, having two titanium stints in my heart, a hip replacement, and now this, if I hadn’t received this new hearing aid, I would be a shadow of myself. Now I am excited to get out and about, it’s given me a new lease of life. I can hear everything, I feel great.”

Eileen is truly grateful and credits Hidden Hearing for opening the channels of communication again between her and her husband saying; “We really appreciate these new hearing devices and everything Hidden Hearing is doing for us now. I’m a woman of great patience but repeating myself and shouting to be heard, it really takes it out of you. Now I am so happy – I’m sitting here beside him and haven’t needed to repeat myself once. Thank you so much Teodora”.

Hidden Hearing’s audiologist Teodora Daneva based in the Artane branch hails the technology behind the devices Terry received saying; “These devices have won awards, they are the best you can get. I am thrilled to see Terry’s reaction and to be able to assist the couple in this way. They have been through a hard time and obviously a massive car accident is going to have an impact on your life in a big way so it’s great to give someone the gift of hearing better.”

ABOUT HIDDEN HEARING’S “GIVE BACK CAMPAIGN”

Free hearing testing is available in over 75 state-of-the-art Hidden Hearing clinics throughout Ireland, as part of the “Campaign for Better Hearing” which was launched earlier this year by Daniel O’Donnell and Majella O’Donnell, proud supporters of the Campaign for Better Hearing. The campaign aims to improve the hearing health of the communities around the various Hidden Hearing branches nationwide.  Education and information in relation to prevention and treatment, as well as hearing aid technology, is also part of the year-long hearing health campaign.

Around *70% of hearing loss in Ireland is untreated, for various reasons; an element of which is the perceived stigma at wearing a hearing device.

*Hearing loss is shockingly prevalent in Ireland. In fact, 1 in 5 adults suffer from at least a mild hearing loss. Even among younger adults ages 18- 24, they are showing early signs of noise induced hearing loss. By the age of 55 ¼ of the population report a significant deterioration in hearing and by 65 this rises to 1/3.

In the region of 100,000 people may be risking the knock-on physical and psychological impacts of untreated hearing loss, which recent research has shown to include social isolation, depression, dementia, diminished heart health and stroke.

According to Hidden Hearing, Marketing Director, Dolores Madden, over half the population between the ages of 60 and 80 are likely to have measurable hearing loss.

The Give Back Programme, which is an integral part of The Campaign for Better Hearing sees all branches of Hidden Hearing nominate a member of the community to get a free hearing device fitted. Hidden Hearing want to drive the message of the importance of good hearing and improve hearing health in those who they feel need it, because life is worth hearing.

Free hearing testing is available in over 80 state-of-the-art Hidden Hearing clinics throughout Ireland, as the healthcare provider drives home the message that taking care of hearing is essential, not least because life is worth hearing!

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