News and Stories

As a registered nurse and midwife, Kath Corcoran is aware of how important it is to look after her health – including a fluctuating hearing loss that had frustrated her for years. “Taking steps to retain your functional hearing capacity is so important, however my specific hearing loss was not a linear progression from ‘hearing’ to ‘not hearing’,” said Kath, who was diagnosed with an inner ear condition known as Ménière’s disease in 2007, and had been wearing hearing aids for the past year with varying success. x“For me, I have periods of hearing fluctuations which ...

The melodic song of birds in the trees – it’s something many of us take for granted, but not so for 75-year-old grandfather, Trevor. Having acquired hearing aids through Hear and Say’s Adult Hearing program late last year, Trevor said that he had been overjoyed to find a return to many everyday sounds. “I had noticed that I was missing out interacting with friends and family, especially the grandkids. It was embarrassing at times, getting the wrong slant on conversations, and I often had to rely on others for interpretation,” said Trevor. “I had previously had a ...

It is with heartfelt gratitude that Hear and Say farewells Paul Laxon OAM in his role as Board Chair at the end of this month, following more than a decade of inspiring leadership. From the Brisbane centre’s move from its outgrown quarters in Auchenflower into the state-of-the-art Ashgrove facilities; to overseeing governance and accreditation during the National Disability Insurance Scheme transition, Paul has been instrumental in steering Hear and Say through rapid growth and change. Chris McCarthy, who was appointed as the first Hear and Say Chief Executive Officer eight years ...

An iconic Queensland institution, Suncorp Stadium has long been associated with the roar of a sports match or the thunderous cheer of a music crowd. Alongside that though, Suncorp Stadium also makes big noise for children with hearing loss. From the Former Origin Greats (FOGS) beneficiary lunches where it all began, to the renowned annual Suncorp Stadium Charity Golf Day, to the fun of 50-50 Charity Raffles, the links forged between Hear and Say and Suncorp Stadium are many and varied. Suncorp Stadium’s General Manager, Alan Graham said their team had been proud to have Hear and Say as ...

Asking your child to be focused throughout an entire listening and spoken language lesson can be a challenge, and telepractice lessons, which are increasingly becoming part of the ‘new norm’, have their own unique distractions. Hear and Say’s Occupational Therapist, Leisa Chapman, shares some insights and tips for helping children to be calm, settled and focussed during their telepractice lesson. Tip 1: The Surrounding Environment An ideal learning environment is a familiar, uncluttered and well-ventilated space that doesn’t have distracting background noise. It is great to ...

With schools opening their doors once again after the coronavirus-induced hiatus, 12-year-old Sarah has an exciting piece of technology to bring back to the classroom. After being diagnosed with a permanent hearing loss in her left ear last year, Sarah recently underwent cochlear implant surgery – and amidst the stringent conditions of a global pandemic, had her implant switched onto sound at the Hear and Say Brisbane centre. “Due to coronavirus my implant surgery had been on and off several times which was disappointing, so when I was finally able to have the surgery I was really ...

This edition took a bird’s eye view of Clinical Manager – Audiology Julie Decker’s hearing booth desk and gained insight into Hear and Say’s Audiology program. Julie joined us in 2019 and brings a wealth of experience from nearly 30 years as a cochlear implant audiologist. She began her career in Sydney working with Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children (RIDBC) and The Shepherd Centre. She joined Hear and Say after working for Cochlear Ltd for 14 years, most recently as the Clinical Manager for Australia/New Zealand. Through this role she gained invaluable insights into the ...

Hear and Say alumni, Darcy had an extra reason to celebrate his birthday well this year. Lending his voice as an ambassador of the recent Hear and Say: Here to Stay Giving Day, Darcy said he was thrilled to see the campaign raise well over its initial $200,000 target, one day after he turned 22. “I was stoked to see the community’s response to the Giving Day, because Hear and Say has had a massive butterfly effect on my life and for so many others like me. I wouldn’t have had the friends I have now, I wouldn’t have worked in all the jobs I’ve had, or gone to the school I went to, ...

Ensuring babies born into a world without sound have access to urgent services has been the driving force behind Hear and Say’s work for almost 30 years. This extends from our earliest six children, whose sessions were delivered by Dr Dimity Dornan within a spare room in a Brisbane physiotherapy clinic, to babies like one-year-old Harry, who was born with severe hearing loss and received cochlear implants just over two months ago. Like thousands of children before him, Harry is now undertaking years of early intervention to develop listening and spoken language skills that will quickly ...