Life-changing Cochlear Implant Extends 27-year Teaching Career /
Overcoming
hearing loss
Rangiora woman Heather Day woke up one morning to find she had lost
all hearing in her right ear – without any explanation or prior warning.
Itwas Boxing Day 1995 and Heather Day was just 42 years old and working as a primary school teacher. ‘At first I thought that my ear was just blocked or something, but as the day went on I knew it was more serious than that,’ says Heather. ‘I actually went to bed and stayed in our bedroom for a number of days while I came to terms with not being able to hear. I thought it was only a temporary thing and someone would be able to fix it.’
After seeing a specialist Heather was admitted to hospital where she stayed for several weeks while medical staff tried to find the reason for her sudden hearing loss. Unfortunately the clinical cause remains unknown to this day, and she gradually lost the hearing in her left ear as well. ‘I was able to continue teaching while I still had some hearing in my left ear, and with the help of hearing aids. But it eventually got to the point where hearing aids were of little help.’
Heather was referred to the Southern Cochlear Implant
Programme (SCIP) in 2012 to be assessed for a cochlear implant – a surgically-implanted electronic device that restores hearing for those with profound hearing loss. Unfortunately Heather then joined many other profoundly deaf New Zealanders on the waiting list, despite being eligible for the life-changing technology.
SCIP General Manager Neil Heslop says just 40 adults nationally receive government funding for a cochlear implant every year. ‘However, there are nearly 200 eligible adults who are currently waiting, and based on current referral rates this number could increase by hundreds more during the next five years,’ says Neil.
‘Without an increase in government support, most of those people will never hear again – unless they have $ 50,000 to fund the procedure privately.’ For every five people referred for a cochlear implant, only one will receive funding.
Heather and her family decided to pay for the procedure
themselves, so she could continue her teaching career. She had the surgery in 2012 and says it has been life-changing.
‘I was appointed Deputy Principal, and after 27 years at the same school I retired at the end of 2019. But the most important thing is being able to hear my grandchildren say their first words, hear their laughter and be able to interact with them in their lives. Without a cochlear implant none of this would have been possible and I hate to think what would have happened to my mental health if I’d had to wait the length of time some people have to. I am extremely fortunate.’
SCIP, a registered charity, is funded by the Ministry of Health to provide public cochlear implant services to children and adults. Because demand often exceeds government funding, SCIP relies on public donations and bequests to fund cochlear implants for those in need. The organisation is now calling on the Government to increase the number of adult surgeries from 40 to 120 each year to address the most urgent cases.
Cochlear implants for adults are often considered to be an aged-care issue, but this is not the case according to Neil. ‘It is actually a disability issue. Our adult patients have had severe to profound hearing loss for many years, and this is not the result of the normal ageing process. Sometimes there is a genetic cause, there may be a disease process, or it may happen suddenly for no known reason. It could happen to anyone at any point.’
‘I hate to think what would have happened to my mental health if I’d had to wait the length of time some people have to. I am
extremely fortunate.’