"When I started speaking, the other children laughed at my voice"

Diane was born profoundly deaf with a rare condition called Klippel Feil Syndrome. Because of this she has lived in a silent world all her life.

Diane and hearing dog Merlin

“I am the only person in my family to be deaf and learned to lip-read as none of my family signed. Growing up, my sister Linda was the only one who understood me, and she would explain to the rest of my family what I was saying.

“My discomfort in social situations today stemmed from an incident at Sunday School when I was nine. I was asked to stand at the front and read from a book. When I started speaking, the other children laughed at my voice. I have shunned social activities ever since and avoid conversations unless I am spoken to first.

“I’ve had dogs around me all my life. I often feel more comfortable with them than with people. I got my first dog, Shep, when I was 16. He made me very happy and gave me the independence of going out for walks on my own.

“After I left college, I was thrown into the hearing world. I did a series of jobs as a clerical assistant, then joined the Department of Work and Pensions as an Administrative Officer, where I stayed for 33 years. It was while I was there that my supervisor asked whether I’d considered a hearing dog.

“My first hearing dog Chester, a Cocker Spaniel, came to live with me in 2017. He transformed my life. He gave me a lot more confidence and was brilliant with his soundwork, both at home and work.

“Wearing his burgundy jacket, Chester helped make my colleagues, particularly those in other departments and who didn’t know me, aware that I was deaf.

“Chester was well loved by the colleagues in my own department, and if anyone needed to get away from their desk for a while, they would visit him for a cuddle. They even gave him a ‘Recognition’ award for this.

“Tragically, when he was 12 years old, Chester became ill and was found to have a tumour on his liver. The prognosis wasn’t good and I had to make the heartbreaking decision to let him go.

“For eight months after losing Chester, my life was in a mess. I felt lost, numb and so broken. I struggled with depression and didn’t know what to do with myself. I had a lot of support from Linda and my friend Angela, but when I was back home on my own, the house felt so empty. I had to go out walking because I couldn’t bear to stay there.

“In the summer, I heard that the charity had found me a match – a silver poodle called Merlin. I was over the moon. I absolutely fell in love with him - this flighty and funny little dog. He really brought me back to my old self, giving me happiness and laughter.

“Merlin loves alerting me to sounds, especially the cooker timer and doorbell, so we practise this regularly.  He is very clever and a little mischievous. He fools around with an empty yoghurt pot on his face, which is hilarious.

“Merlin gets on fabulously with other dogs in the park, and loves playing with the ball and chasing, always checking on me. We have even unexpectedly bumped into his brother Magic when out for a walk!

“With Merlin’s help, I’ve become more sociable, going to the deaf club for the over 55s every week with Angela, going for a cuppa in the cafe by ourselves, and even planning where we will go on holiday together next year.

“I am so thankful that I have Merlin in my life. He is the best thing that has happened to me. He is very loving and likes to be cuddled up to me, which is what I really need. I don’t know what I would do without him.”