Devon and Molly

25-year-old Devon has struggled with the impacts of her deafness and prosthetic leg all her life. Now, with hearing dog Molly, she has a greater sense of purpose alongside her “most loving, amazing, clever Cockapoo”.

A young woman sat on a sofa smiling with her arm around a light brown cockapoo

Devon lives with her mum and stepdad in Epping, Essex. Her mum, Joanna, explained, “When Devon was four years old, I contacted the health visitor because one of the ladies at nursery thought Devon may be deaf.

“I’d also noticed something about her speech. The health visitor said there was nothing wrong and that it was all in my head! Then the tests came back saying Devon had severe to profound deafness.

“I suddenly realised I could speak to her with no sound, and she could still answer me because she was lipreading.”

Devon also lives with a rare condition called Proximal Femoral Focal Deficiency (PFFD) which means that she was born without a thigh bone. She wears a prosthetic leg, but she can only walk short distances.”

Young woman with long brown hair and dark clothes sat on a patio with her legs out in front of her and her arm around a light brown happy looking Cockapoo

Growing up with both deafness and PFFD had significant impacts for Devon. Despite her family’s efforts to find schools and universities that could support her needs, Devon struggled to gain sufficient support and faced discrimination from her peers.

At university, Devon’s mental health declined so much that her mum worried about her safety. “I was worried she might do something to herself, so I pulled her out,” Joanna shared. “I had to get her emergency mental health services.”

On top of these intense challenges, Devon faced a shocking experience when she was trying to become more independent in her day-to-day life. Devon explained, “I was on a train, trying to go places by myself. Someone asked me to move but I didn’t hear them. So, they physically picked up my prosthetic leg and moved it.”

Life was feeling exceptionally tough for Devon.

I felt very isolated at that point. Being deaf, I’ve felt anxious and have struggled with friendships. I really wanted some companionship.

Devon also felt vulnerable in her everyday life: “At home I didn’t feel safe. Sometimes, in bed, I’d hear something but couldn’t identify what it was and that freaked me out. So I would just stay awake.”

Devon learned about Hearing Dogs for Deaf People at a fair in her local area. She was partnered with chocolate Cockapoo Molly, in October 2022.

A light brown Cockapoo running outside amongst greenery, looking happy and with ears flapping

Just before Molly was due to come home with Devon, her trainer rang to say Molly had an issue with her hip and might not be able to walk too far. As if their partnership was written in the stars, Devon recalled, “If anything it made me want her more. I have my prosthetic leg; Molly has her hip – it just felt like it was meant to be.”

Once Molly moved in, Devon’s feeling that they would make a great partnership was confirmed. “I just fell in love with her instantly. We had a ‘Welcome home’ banner, and I bought her a pupcake! She is always by my side and helps me to relax. She makes my life so much brighter and more meaningful. She’s been completely life changing.”

Since having “perfect” partner Molly, Devon says she smiles all the time. When the pair enjoy trips out, Devon feels more confident now people will know she is deaf due to Molly’s Hearing Dogs jacket.