Holli’s hearing difficulties date right back to her childhood when she was tested for hearing loss but not given any treatment. In her 20s (2015), Holli again went for an NHS hearing test, and was told that she couldn’t hear certain pitches but wasn’t offered a solution to manage her loss or prevent it from getting worse in the future.
For the following nine years, Holli couldn’t always hear clearly, but just had to live with it. She often had to ask people to repeat themselves and always used subtitles when watching TV.
Holli explains:
“I could hear noise, but I couldn’t always hear it clearly or where it was coming from. If someone was talking behind me, I’d only catch half of what they were saying. And I had tinnitus – a ringing in my ears.”
Holli is a big fan of playing the fantasy group game Dungeons & Dragons, both online and in-person with friends.
“That became really tricky because I found it difficult to hear, so I stopped playing so much.”
In 2022, Holli gave birth to her daughter, and experienced a period of postnatal depression, made worse by the impact of her untreated hearing loss.
“There were times when I would be alone with my baby but would be too scared to have a shower while she was sleeping because I was frightened that I wouldn’t be able to hear her if she woke up and started crying. I was always on hyper alert, terrified I wouldn’t be able to hear her.
“In social situations, I felt embarrassed because I had to ask people to repeat themselves over and over. Often, I just pretended to hear what they were saying.
“I took my daughter to baby yoga, because that was nice and quiet and I could hear everything, but I stayed away from other mum-and-baby groups because I couldn’t hear when there was lots of background noise.”
Above: Holli enjoying the sound of her daughter's chatter
Then, in 2024, a conversation with a friend motivated her to get tested again.
Holli explains:
“I was on the phone to my friend and was asking her to repeat herself multiple times. She said, ‘Holli, you need to get your hearing checked, you’re as deaf as a post.’
“After that, I thought maybe I should get tested. I was aware that Hidden Hearing offer free tests, so thought I didn’t have anything to lose by booking an appointment.”
Holli visited her local Hidden Hearing Centre in Exeter where it was confirmed that she had mild hearing loss in both ears.
Holli saw Hidden Hearing audiologist Rosie Aylward, who says, “It’s fantastic that we’ve been able to make a real difference to Holli’s life. Getting hearing loss treated is so important, not just for you, but for those around you too. We hope that Holli’s story can inspire others to come forward and get their hearing checked.”
When she was shown how hearing aids could help during the appointment, Holli couldn’t believe the difference.
“I said, ‘is this what everyone else hears?’ Everything was cleaner, crisper. The difference was startling. I realised I had been living in a muted version of the world for years.”
Above: Audiologist Rosie Aylward gifts Holli life changing hearing aids
Holli was gifted state-of-the-art hearing aids as part of Hidden Hearing’s Give Back Programme and they’ve made a huge difference to her family and social life:
“My daughter is starting to talk now, and I can hear what she is saying clearly. I’m planning to take her to her first Christmas pantomime this year. I wish I had had my hearing aids when I took her for her first cinema trip – I’ve tried them in the cinema since and they make such a difference.
“I don’t have to worry so much in group settings anymore and have started playing Dungeons & Dragons again. It sounds nerdy, but it’s very good fun!
“I don’t know my aids are in most of the time. They are so comfortable and very discreet. They are not like the big, ‘beige banana’ hearing aids I had presumed I would have to wear.
“It’s amazing, I’m not asking my husband to repeat himself all the time. And all the different settings are fantastic, especially the speech boost mode, for when we are out and about somewhere. We’re both big music fans and love going to concerts and the different modes help with that, too. The last gig I went to was before I had my hearing aids and I’m excited to see what the difference will be now.”
Find out more about the Give Back Programme
You can nominate yourself, or someone you care about, for the Give Back Programme at your free hearing test. Just follow the link below to book.
In the meantime, to get a general idea of how well you can hear, you can take our free, five-minute online hearing test.
