Corinne barely slept until her hearing dog, Penny, came into her life

Now, she can face the future with confidence and live with greater freedom and independence

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A bespectacled woman wearing a blue cardigan over a long dress is sitting on grass holding a brown curly haired dog in her arms.

After becoming deaf overnight, mum Corinne had lost so much more than just her hearing. Frightened and unable to sleep for three years, her home became both her ‘sanctuary and her prison’. 

Then, she was partnered with hearing dog, Penny. With her skilled support, Corinne has become the parent she wants to be again. 

'When I lost my hearing suddenly, I literally lost ‘me’ overnight. In May 2021, I went to bed feeling ok and woke up around 4am to a very loud high-pitched sound in my ears. Then, I realised I couldn’t hear in my right ear. My hearing deteriorated even further, and I was eventually diagnosed with Ménière’s disease*.

Losing my hearing really frightened me. That, combined with my balance issues, caused me to totally withdraw into myself and I wouldn’t leave the house.

"I just felt like a failure as a mum."

Night times were the worst. My youngest son, William, has type 1 diabetes. Just one night after I lost my hearing, Will’s blood sugars dropped severely. His ‘hypo’ alarm went off six times during the night and I missed every single one of them. Luckily my husband, Andy, woke up, but I just felt like a failure as a mum. 

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For three years after that, I hardly slept at all. It had a severe effect on my mental and physical health. Until then, I’d always been a confident, outgoing person. I lost the will to do anything and I stopped all my hobbies. My confidence just left me, totally.

When my son decided to sponsor a Guide Dog, it got me wondering if there was such a thing as a dog for deaf people. That's when I found out about Hearing Dogs. It felt like fate.

A dog wearing a burgundy hearing dogs jacket is sitting outdoors on grass. There is a blurred background showing trees.

When I was told I'd been matched with Penny, I just cried. She’s given me my life back and I’m finding 'me' again. Even my sons said, 'We've got our mum back!'.'

Now I sleep without fear, all night, every night

‘William’s hypo alarm sounded the second night Penny was with us. We hadn’t even started doing soundwork training together, but she jumped onto the bed to wake me up. From that moment, I knew it was safe to sleep. Now I sleep without fear all night, every night.

Penny loves doing her soundwork. After alerting me, her tail is wagging. Then, she gets lots of praise and a treat, which makes her tail wag even harder! I’m a mum again in every way and such a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

After years of barely leaving the house, I’m now out walking with Penny every day. With Penny by my side, I feel more confident because people see her burgundy jacket and know that I’m deaf.

Since having Penny, my mental health is getting stronger. My doctor has also seen such a difference and I’ve already reduced my dose of antidepressants. I’m really hoping to come off them totally by the end of the year.

Penny is my missing piece, my best friend, my beautiful girl, my everything. My life is no longer grey. The colours are now beautiful.

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