PENTICTON — Darcy Naylor relishes in hearing the waves crashing on the beach, the gentle whistling of the wind and even the cooing of pigeons. These are all sounds she cherishes after losing her hearing a decade ago. Naylor says being severely hearing impaired affected her relationships and employment.
“I actually lost my jobs because of my hearing. I wasn’t able to do my job properly because I would miss things not being able to hear,” she explains.
The hearing loss happened while Naylor was receiving cancer treatment. She was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma.
She beat the disease but in the process, lost her hearing.
Financial constraints meant Naylor couldn’t afford hearing aids but this all changed earlier this year.
A family member entered her into a NexGen Hearing contest on Global Okanagan.
To Naylor’s surprise, she won the $5,000 voucher to spend on hearing aids.
“I cried, I was at a loss for words and I couldn’t believe it. I was elated — I’m still elated — everyday I’m just so thankful.”
Stephanie Sykes, an audiologist and the owner of the Penticton NexGen clinic, says it’s a good thing Naylor didn’t delay getting hearing aids any longer.
“Leaving a hearing loss untreated can have several adverse effects on relationships and overall quality of life,” says Sykes. “There’s a recent study out by John Hopkins that those with untreated hearing loss have an accelerated loss of brain tissue compared to those with normal hearing.”
Naylor had put her aspirations of working in the film industry away, believing those opportunities vanished along with her hearing.
But now that she’s equipped with two small hearing aids, she can dream big once again.
“I’m excited by the possibilities that I can dream again of things that interest me.”
If you missed the contest Global Okanagan did in collaboration with NexGen Hearing, there are more chances to win a pair of hearing aids.
Click here to learn about the NexGen monthly draws.
Comments