Sponsor pup Gwen is a "superhero"

Jason and Yvonne met at school when they were 14. “We got married in 1995 and have two boys, both hearing, who have now left home,” shared Yvonne. Jason’s deafness is hereditary, whereas Yvonne is deaf as she was exposed to Rubella in the womb.

“Being deaf is hard work, from waking up to going to bed. You just have to make the best of it.

“I’ve found it harder as I’ve got older, how people are with me. Sometimes I just don’t go out because it’s too tiring, and I can start feeling isolated from the world outside.

“I’ve also found people can be quite dismissive. They assume you’re stupid if you don’t hear them.”

For Jason, there are also other barriers to him leaving the house. Jason has recently had a kidney transplant operation and whilst on the waiting list he needed dialysis three times a week.

Although Jason later began receiving dialysis in hospital, not being able to hear the alarm of his at-home dialysis machine was the couple’s inspiration to apply for a hearing dog.

Yvonne recalled one night at a hotel, when she woke up to someone standing at the bottom of their bed: “I screamed the place down. The man, who worked for the hotel, was very apologetic but said there had been a noise complaint from the person next door. It was Jason’s dialysis machine alarm. I hadn’t heard it and Jason slept through the whole thing.”

On this frightening evening, little did Jason and Yvonne know that a clever puppy, who would change their lives, would be going through her hearing dog training.

Jason added: “When I was due for a kidney transplant, I needed to know when the phone was ringing. I used to miss calls: now Gwen loves telling me the phone is ringing. She could have literally saved my life.

“I’m also feeling fitter because of the daily walks, which will be important for my recovery.”

Gwen also supports Yvonne with sounds, like the alarm clock, meaning she’s no longer late for her work at the local hospital. Although she’s not trained to, Gwen even alerted Yvonne when Jason had fainted and broken his nose in another room, leading her to where he had fallen.

But Gwen isn’t just alerting her deaf partners to sounds. Yvonne shared, “She’s a godsend! Her hearing dog jacket reminds people that we’re deaf and they’re much more considerate as a result. I’m also more confident going out on my own.

“We’re more relaxed; she’s just made us happier in general. We’ll put a film on, but we don’t really watch it because we’re playing with Gwen, cuddling her, or watching her antics.”