"Jenson's given me the confidence to start a family, progress in my career, and finally feel secure in my own home"

Sarah, 36, is a busy NHS directorate manager and mother to one-year-old Edward. She shares her home with her son, five cats - and Jenson, her life-changing hearing dog.

Despite having a strong network of friends and family, Sarah’s life was significantly impacted by hearing loss from an early age, a condition she now manages with Jenson’s help.

Sarah’s story in her own words:

My parents first noticed my hearing loss when I was three. I was given hearing aids, but struggled to use them as they made my ears sore.

At 24, I was asked to take part in a trial for bone-anchored hearing aids (BAHAs). This proved to be a turning point; not only did they improved my hearing, they also enhanced my speech.

My day-to-day life was still challenging though. I often felt isolated in busy public places, unable to hear Tannoy announcements.

Although I still went out socially, I felt anxious and vulnerable in a group setting. If there was background noise, I couldn’t follow group conversations, and worried that people might think I was rude or standoffish.

When I moved into my own home at 27, I really struggled to adjust. I couldn’t wear my hearing aids to bed, but knowing I wouldn’t hear a burglar trying to get into the house, or the smoke alarm if there were a fire, made me feel very unsafe. I once slept through the smoke alarm at my family home and that made me realise how vulnerable I was.

Relying on lip-reading meant that large meetings at work became difficult, and colleagues have since told me they thought I was rude when they spoke to me and I ‘ignored’ them.

For a long time I doubted whether the challenges with my hearing were ‘enough’, or whether I should just be able to put up with them. That self-doubt disappeared when I discovered Hearing Dogs and was matched with Jenson, a cream Cockapoo.

It was love at first sight for me. Jenson’s a happy, loving boy and very eager to please. He fitted in seamlessly with my five cats, even forming a close bond with one of them.

His presence brought me an immediate sense of relief. For the first time in years, I was able to sleep peacefully, safe in the knowledge he would alert me to any overnight dangers.

I realised just how much of a difference he’d made to me when I had to travel to America and stay in a hotel without him. All the old anxiety about sleeping alone came back.

His impact on my daily life is immense. I no longer have to sit by the front door waiting for deliveries; Jenson alerts me to every visitor. He lets me know about the smoke alarm at home and the weekly fire alarm test at work. And, most remarkably, he has adapted to fetch me when my baby, Edward, cries – something he wasn’t trained to do.

Before Jenson, I was deeply anxious about how I would safely raise a child while being deaf. It wasn’t just about not hearing the baby, it was about protecting him if someone came into the house. With Jenson by my side, I feel far more confident.

Jenson also plays a crucial role when we’re out in public. Wearing his distinctive burgundy jacket, he lets other people know that I’m deaf and may need support. People are much kinder and more supportive when he’s with me.

At work, I’m far more popular when Jenson’s with me! Colleagues now face me when they are speaking and are more inclusive and understanding during meetings.

I am constantly reminded of how much I value Jenson. My confidence has increased and my anxiety has decreased, I’ve had the confidence to start a family, progress in my career, and finally feel secure in my own home.