Daniela and Tinker
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After losing her much-loved mother, Daniela’s life froze. As her connection to the world collapsed in around her, she felt trapped, vulnerable and alone.
Then, she met her hearing dog, Tinker. With him by her side, Daniela has hope for her future again.
“It was only when my hearing took a major dip after a serious bout of flu, about 10 years ago, that I began to think I might need help,” shared Daniela, who has lived with hearing loss since she was a young child.
“My brother in-law suggested that me, my mam, my sister and her family all moved in together. So, we moved into a three-storey house and I live in my own self-contained flat on the ground floor.
“When my mam died, my world fell apart”
“After moving in together, my mam and I would sit and watch sport together, we’d eat together. We were very close. Without realising it, I also relied on her to hear things for me. She would wake me up in the morning, tell me if there was someone at the door, or that my phone was ringing.
“Then, in July 2020, my mam was diagnosed with skin cancer. She died four months later and my world fell apart.
“My home, which had always been my safe place, became somewhere else I wasn’t able to relax. Even though my sister was upstairs, I was always on high alert. I suddenly felt awfully lost and very alone. Just over a year after my mam had died, I crumbled.
“I was signed off work for six months. I didn’t go out. I became increasingly isolated. My body shut down too – I developed osteoarthritis in my knees and had difficulty walking.
“Some days, I’d get dressed, put on my make-up and stand at the front door. But I just couldn’t bring myself to leave the house. Without my mam, I felt trapped.
“Now, with Tinker, I feel there is hope”
