Latest news with #HearingDogsforDeafPeople
Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'I woke up one morning and couldn't hear - life changed forever'
Alison Wallace woke up one day to find her hearing had disappeared A young woman who suddenly became "profoundly deaf" has shared her harrowing experience of being "spat on" for using sign language, but found a silver lining thanks to her hearing dog. Alison Wallace, 28, from Flintshire, was diagnosed with a "very rare" auto-immune condition after waking up at 13 without her hearing, which fluctuated for six years before permanently disappearing in 2020. The condition took its toll on Alison's self-confidence, leaving her feeling like a mere "shadow" of her former self, plagued by nightmares and watching her social circle dwindle. Her ordeal worsened when she was publicly humiliated and "spat on" by a youth while using sign language, an incident that left her feeling "dehumanised and disrespected". However, Alison's fortunes improved dramatically after getting involved with Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, a charity that trains dogs to assist the deaf. In April 2019, she was paired with Damson, a hearing dog who now alerts her to important sounds like the smoke alarm or doorbell, allowing her to sleep soundly once more. Alison, who became profoundly deaf overnight at 13, credits her emotional support dog Damson for the "indescribable" boost to her well-being, helping her overcome obstacles to such an extent that she passed her driving test, moved in with partner Maciej Filipiak after a chance meeting during a dog walk, and is now expecting their first child. "Just as I was hitting puberty, my life became about deafness and mental health," said Alison, a youth development lead. "I had no confidence and no self-esteem, I felt a shadow of myself. "The mental health side of having Damson has been indescribable and it's the hardest thing to try and explain how much she means to me. She's my ears, but she's also my best friend." The dramatic shift in Alison's life occurred in 2010 when she went from fully hearing to "profoundly deaf". "My mum had called me to get up and wash the dishes and when I didn't answer, she assumed I was ignoring her," Alison recalled. Her hearing fluctuated for six years before doctors diagnosed her with a "very rare" auto-immune condition affecting her inner ear. In 2020, Alison became permanently deaf and despite hearing aids, now relies on British Sign Language (BSL) as her main mode of communication. Alison, who struggled with her impairment throughout her youth, recounted the harrowing experiences she faced, including having nightmares "every night", losing friends, and suffering from low self-esteem. "I used to fall asleep with the TV or a light on because I was terrified when it was fully dark and silent," she revealed. "I lost my friends almost overnight, they were either too weirded-out by the change or didn't have the patience to try and communicate with me." She leaned heavily on her parents, Lorraine, 65, and Billy, 69, for support during her teenage years, which were largely spent at home watching TV as she felt clueless about her future career. "On my first day at sixth-form college, I was told, 'no deaf person goes to university, there's nothing you can study, there's no support for you'," Alison recalled. However, her fortunes changed when a tutor recommended a sign language and deaf studies degree at the University of Central Lancashire. After starting work at the Deafness Resource Centre in 2018, Alison faced a degrading incident where youths mocked her in public. "As they passed, I turned to look back and saw one of the boys do mocking hand signals, he caught my eye and I challenged him," she said. "He spat on me before walking away with his friends. "I'd dealt with bad attitudes to deafness before, but nothing so blatantly degrading. I felt dehumanised and disrespected." Alison's life took a turn for the better when she linked up with Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. "When I heard I'd been matched with my hearing dog Damson in April 2019, I felt at peace for the first time in years," beamed Alison. Damson has been trained to signal Alison about diverse sounds like smoke alarms, doorbells, and her alarm clock. "I feel much safer going out at night now. I know I'm not alone when I have Damson with me and I feel protected and trust she would alert me to something going on," Alison explained. "If someone breaks in, she would tell me before someone was in the bedroom – I don't have that constant 'what if' anymore." Furthermore, the confidence Damson has instilled in Alison is extraordinary; having gained enough assurance to progress through driving lessons, earn her driver's licence, move away from her family home, and thrive in her current role which involves public speaking to large groups of children. Now, Alison and her partner, Maciej, who she met while out on a dog walk in May 2020, are eagerly expecting their first baby. "I still have some poor mental health days, but on the days when I'm bad Damson just stays by my side," she fondly shared. "She makes me feel I can give anything a try and I can't imagine my life without her."
North Wales Live
16-05-2025
- Health
- North Wales Live
'I woke up deaf one day and my life went downhill - but my new best friend changed everything'
A Flintshire woman woke up one morning and, in complete bewilderment, she realised she was profoundly deaf. As Alison Wallace adjusted to her new reality, she underwent the "dehumanising' experience of being 'spat on' for using sign language in public. At the age of 13, she experienced a sudden and inexplicable loss of hearing overnight. For six years, her hearing fluctuated, disappearing and reappearing, until 2020 when it 'never came back'. Diagnosed with a rare inner ear condition, Alison - now aged 28 - endured plummeting self-esteem, recurring nightmares and the loss of friendships. It left her feeling like a 'shadow' of herself. Things improved when she was introduced to Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, a UK charity training dogs to support those who are deaf. In April 2019, Alison was matched with a hearing dog named Damson, who now alerts Alison to sounds such as her smoke alarm, doorbell and alarm clock. The emotional support Damson provides has been 'indescribable', she said – the dog helps her sleep peacefully at night. She has since passed her driving test and moved in with her partner, Maciej Filipiak, 31, after the pair met on a dog walk. 'Just as I was hitting puberty, my life became about deafness and mental health,' Alison, who works as youth development lead for the King's Trust Achieve programme, said. 'I had no confidence and no self-esteem, I felt a shadow of myself. 'The mental health side of having Damson has been indescribable and it's the hardest thing to try and explain how much she means to me. She's my ears but she's also my best friend.' Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now Alison's life changed overnight in 2010 when, one morning, she woke up 'profoundly deaf' - she's never previous suffered any form of hearing loss. 'My mum had called me to get up and wash the dishes and when I didn't answer, she assumed I was ignoring her,' she told PA Real Life. Her hearing suddenly returned three weeks later but 'just as quickly, it went away again'. As she struggled on and off with her hearing for six years, she discovered she had a 'very rare' auto-immune condition of the inner ear. In 2020, Alison lost her hearing completely. She is now profoundly deaf in both ears and wears hearing aids, preferring to communicate with British Sign Language (BSL). The condition weighed heavily on Alison throughout her youth. She had nightmares 'every night', her friends turned their backs on her and her self-esteem ebbed away. 'I used to fall asleep with the TV or a light on because I was terrified when it was fully dark and silent,' she said. 'I lost my friends almost overnight, they were either too weirded-out by the change or didn't have the patience to try and communicate with me.' Alison said she relied on her parents, Lorraine, 65, and Billy, 69, for 'everything'. Her teenage years were spent watching TV at home with them. As her peers began to select their career paths, Alison said she 'didn't have a clue' what she was going to do. She said: 'On my first day at sixth-form college, I was told, 'no deaf person goes to university, there's nothing you can study, there's no support for you'.' Thankfully, her tutor pointed her in the direction of a sign language and deaf studies degree at the University of Central Lancashire. In 2018, she secured her first job at the Deafness Resource Centre. Soon after, Alison and her communication support worker were signing to each other in the street when a group of youths walked by. 'As they passed, I turned to look back and saw one of the boys do mocking hand signals, he caught my eye and I challenged him,' she said. 'He spat on me before walking away with his friends. I'd dealt with bad attitudes to deafness before, but nothing so blatantly degrading. I felt dehumanised and disrespected.' Alison's life was transformed when she was introduced to Hearing Dogs for Deaf People in April 2019. 'I felt at peace for the first time in years,' she said. 'I feel much safer going out at night now. I know I'm not alone when I have Damson with me – I feel protected and trust she would alert me to something going on. If someone breaks in, she would tell me before someone was in the bedroom – I don't have that constant 'what if' anymore.' Crucially, Damson also provides the emotional support Alison needed to boost her confidence. She's since moved from her family home and secured her current job – which often involves public speaking to groups of 100 children or more. Alison met her partner, Maciej, in May 2020 and they are expecting their first child. 'I still have some poor mental health days,' she said. 'But on the days when I'm bad, Damson just stays by my side. 'She makes me feel I can give anything a try – I can't imagine my life without her.'
Wales Online
16-05-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
'I woke up deaf one day and my life went downhill
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A Flintshire woman woke up one morning and, in complete bewilderment, she realised she was profoundly deaf. As Alison Wallace adjusted to her new reality, she underwent the "dehumanising' experience of being 'spat on' for using sign language in public. At the age of 13, she experienced a sudden and inexplicable loss of hearing overnight. For six years, her hearing fluctuated, disappearing and reappearing, until 2020 when it 'never came back'. Diagnosed with a rare inner ear condition, Alison - now aged 28 - endured plummeting self-esteem, recurring nightmares and the loss of friendships. It left her feeling like a 'shadow' of herself. Things improved when she was introduced to Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, a UK charity training dogs to support those who are deaf. In April 2019, Alison was matched with a hearing dog named Damson, who now alerts Alison to sounds such as her smoke alarm, doorbell and alarm clock. The emotional support Damson provides has been 'indescribable', she said – the dog helps her sleep peacefully at night. She has since passed her driving test and moved in with her partner, Maciej Filipiak, 31, after the pair met on a dog walk. 'Just as I was hitting puberty, my life became about deafness and mental health,' Alison, who works as youth development lead for the King's Trust Achieve programme, said. 'I had no confidence and no self-esteem, I felt a shadow of myself. 'The mental health side of having Damson has been indescribable and it's the hardest thing to try and explain how much she means to me. She's my ears but she's also my best friend.' Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now (Image: Collect/PA Real Life) Alison's life changed overnight in 2010 when, one morning, she woke up 'profoundly deaf' - she's never previous suffered any form of hearing loss. 'My mum had called me to get up and wash the dishes and when I didn't answer, she assumed I was ignoring her,' she told PA Real Life. Her hearing suddenly returned three weeks later but 'just as quickly, it went away again'. As she struggled on and off with her hearing for six years, she discovered she had a 'very rare' auto-immune condition of the inner ear. In 2020, Alison lost her hearing completely. She is now profoundly deaf in both ears and wears hearing aids, preferring to communicate with British Sign Language (BSL). The condition weighed heavily on Alison throughout her youth. She had nightmares 'every night', her friends turned their backs on her and her self-esteem ebbed away. 'I used to fall asleep with the TV or a light on because I was terrified when it was fully dark and silent,' she said. 'I lost my friends almost overnight, they were either too weirded-out by the change or didn't have the patience to try and communicate with me.' Alison said she relied on her parents, Lorraine, 65, and Billy, 69, for 'everything'. Her teenage years were spent watching TV at home with them. (Image: Collect/PA Real Life) As her peers began to select their career paths, Alison said she 'didn't have a clue' what she was going to do. She said: 'On my first day at sixth-form college, I was told, 'no deaf person goes to university, there's nothing you can study, there's no support for you'.' Thankfully, her tutor pointed her in the direction of a sign language and deaf studies degree at the University of Central Lancashire. In 2018, she secured her first job at the Deafness Resource Centre. Soon after, Alison and her communication support worker were signing to each other in the street when a group of youths walked by. 'As they passed, I turned to look back and saw one of the boys do mocking hand signals, he caught my eye and I challenged him,' she said. 'He spat on me before walking away with his friends. I'd dealt with bad attitudes to deafness before, but nothing so blatantly degrading. I felt dehumanised and disrespected.' Alison's life was transformed when she was introduced to Hearing Dogs for Deaf People in April 2019. 'I felt at peace for the first time in years,' she said. 'I feel much safer going out at night now. I know I'm not alone when I have Damson with me – I feel protected and trust she would alert me to something going on. If someone breaks in, she would tell me before someone was in the bedroom – I don't have that constant 'what if' anymore.' Crucially, Damson also provides the emotional support Alison needed to boost her confidence. She's since moved from her family home and secured her current job – which often involves public speaking to groups of 100 children or more. Alison met her partner, Maciej, in May 2020 and they are expecting their first child. 'I still have some poor mental health days,' she said. 'But on the days when I'm bad, Damson just stays by my side. 'She makes me feel I can give anything a try – I can't imagine my life without her.' Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox Find out what's happening near you
Wales Online
16-05-2025
- General
- Wales Online
'I woke up deaf and people spat on me - a moment transformed my life'
'I woke up deaf and people spat on me - a moment transformed my life' Alison woke up 'profoundly deaf' one morning Alison said she 'felt peace for the first time in years' when she matched with her hearing dog (Image: PA Real Life ) A young woman who woke up one day 'profoundly deaf' and was later 'spat on' for using sign language in public has praised her hearing dog for transforming her life. Alison Wallace, 28, woke up one morning at the age of 13 to find her hearing had disappeared overnight, marking the start of six years where it would disappear and reappear – but in 2020, it 'never came back'. Alison, based in Flintshire, was found to have a 'very rare' auto-immune condition of the inner ear, and her impairment saw her struggle with her self-esteem until she felt like a 'shadow' of herself – having nightmares 'every night' and watching her friends disappear. Shortly after starting her first job in 2018, Alison said she was using sign language to communicate with her support worker in public when a youth turned and 'mocked' their hand signals before he 'spat' on her, leaving her feeling 'dehumanised and disrespected'. Alison's life changed for the better though when she was introduced to Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, a UK charity training dogs to support those who are deaf. She was matched with a hearing dog named Damson in April 2019, who will now alert Alison to vital sounds such as the smoke alarm or the doorbell, and she helps her sleep peacefully at night. The emotional support Damson provides to Alison has also been 'indescribable', and she has since passed her driving test and moved in with her partner, Maciej Filipiak, 31, after the pair met on a dog walk – and they are now expecting their first child together. 'Just as I was hitting puberty, my life became about deafness and mental health,' Alison, who works as youth development lead for the King's Trust Achieve programme, said. 'I had no confidence and no self-esteem, I felt a shadow of myself. Article continues below 'The mental health side of having Damson has been indescribable and it's the hardest thing to try and explain how much she means to me. She's my ears, but she's also my best friend.' Alison's life changed overnight in 2010 when, at the age of 13, she woke up 'profoundly deaf' after previously being fully hearing for her entire life. 'My mum had called me to get up and wash the dishes and when I didn't answer, she assumed I was ignoring her,' she said. Alison with her partner and Damson (Image: PA Real Life ) Alison said her hearing remained like this for three weeks before it returned, but 'just as quickly, it went away again'. She struggled on and off with her hearing for six years and it was found she has a 'very rare' auto-immune condition of the inner ear. In 2020, Alison lost her hearing and it 'never came back'. She is now profoundly deaf in both ears and wears hearing aids, preferring to communicate with British Sign Language (BSL). The impairment weighed heavily on Alison throughout her youth, where she had nightmares 'every night', her friends disappeared, and her self-esteem dropped. 'I used to fall asleep with the TV or a light on because I was terrified when it was fully dark and silent,' she said. 'I lost my friends almost overnight, they were either too weirded-out by the change or didn't have the patience to try and communicate with me.' Alison said she relied on her parents, Lorraine, 65, and Billy, 69, for 'everything' and her teenage years were spent watching TV at home with them. As her peers began to select their career paths, Alison said she 'didn't have a clue what I was going to do.' 'On my first day at sixth-form college, I was told, 'no deaf person goes to university, there's nothing you can study, there's no support for you',' she said. Thankfully, Alison said her tutor pointed her in the direction of a sign language and deaf studies degree at the University of Central Lancashire. Soon after starting her first job at the Deafness Resource Centre in 2018, she and her communication support worker were signing to each other in the street when a group of youths walked by. 'As they passed, I turned to look back and saw one of the boys do mocking hand signals, he caught my eye and I challenged him,' she said. 'He spat on me before walking away with his friends. 'I'd dealt with bad attitudes to deafness before, but nothing so blatantly degrading. I felt dehumanised and disrespected.' Alison struggled with her confidence and her self-esteem (Image: PA Real Life ) Luckily, Alison's life was transformed when she was introduced to Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. 'When I heard I'd been matched with my hearing dog Damson in April 2019, I felt at peace for the first time in years,' Alison said. Damson is trained to alert Alison to a variety of sounds, such as the smoke alarm, the doorbell and the alarm clock. 'I feel much safer going out at night now. I know I'm not alone when I have Damson with me and I feel protected and trust she would alert me to something going on,' she said. 'If someone breaks in, she would tell me before someone was in the bedroom – I don't have that constant 'what if' anymore.' The emotional support Damson provides has also been remarkable, for Alison has had the confidence to try driving lessons, pass her driving test, move out of her family home and secure her current job – which often involves public speaking to groups of 100 children or more. Alison now lives with her partner, Maciej, after the pair met on a dog walk in May 2020, and they are expecting their first child. Article continues below 'I still have some poor mental health days, but on the days when I'm bad Damson just stays by my side,' she said. 'She makes me feel I can give anything a try and I can't imagine my life without her.'
South Wales Argus
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- South Wales Argus
Caleb McDuff and Team BRIT's £1k for hearing dogs charity
Caleb McDuff, 17, from Pontypool, joined his Team BRIT teammates to support Hearing Dogs for Deaf People at a Silverstone race on May 4. The charity trains dogs to alert deaf people to important sounds they would otherwise miss. The team, which is the world's only competitive team of all-disabled racing drivers, used the Britcar Endurance Championship event to promote the charity. They were assisted by Zach Allen and his hearing dog Echo, and charity representatives Jo Wengler and Vicky Ryan. Caleb, who was diagnosed as deaf at the age of two, competed in a McLaren alongside his teammate Noah Cosby. They finished fourth in their class. More than 120 guests attended the event, donating money and purchasing the team's old tyres, which can be upcycled into coffee tables and planters. The team is continuing to raise funds for the charity throughout May. Caleb, who has worn cochlear implants since he was four, began karting at the age of six and joined Team BRIT last year. The team has developed a technical solution that allows Caleb to wear his cochlear implants under his helmet and communicate with the pit crew. Team BRIT principal Mike Scudamore said: "It was a real pleasure to welcome Echo and Zach from Hearing Dogs for Deaf People to our race at Silverstone. "Caleb's dad, Ian, introduced us to the charity and was keen for us to help them. "We were immediately keen to support this, with the charity and everything it does having a special place in the hearts of Caleb and his family." Vicky Ryan, community fundraising manager at Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, said: "We were honoured to be invited to Silverstone to celebrate the incredible achievement of Caleb and his teammates at the Endurance Championships. "We're so grateful to Team BRIT for choosing us as their charity of the month and for raising such an impressive amount in just one day." The funds will help to train more puppies to become hearing dogs.
