"Tinker brought me freedom and hope"

Daniela shares her story:

Doctors do not know when my hearing loss started but they think it was after I contracted a virus that damaged my nerve endings. It was not until I was 4 years old that I was diagnosed.

At school as a young child, I remember being very conscious of not wanting to get in trouble or to look silly. This was difficult as I didn’t always hear the teacher’s instructions, so I had to really concentrate all the time. Looking back, it must’ve been exhausting.

These feelings were heightened by my secondary school teachers and university lecturers. They weren’t prepared to make even small changes to their teaching to support me, like standing at the front so I could lipread.

All this made me feel that I wasn’t important, so I just got on with things. It was only when my hearing took a major dip after a serious bout of flu, that I began to think I might need help.

My brother-in-law suggested that me, my mam, my sister and her family all move in together. So, we moved into a three-storey house and I lived in my own self-contained flat on the ground floor.

After moving in together, my mam and I would sit and watch sports together, and 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. Without the reassurance of knowing mam was there, I was always on high alert. I suddenly felt awfully lost and very alone.

I started to get very anxious and felt more and more vulnerable, especially at night. Just over a year after my mam had died, I crumbled.

I was signed off work for six months. I didn’t go out. Even going out into my garden was hard. 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. I felt trapped.

My hearing dog, Tinker, arrived in August 2022. Having spent my whole life trying to keep my deafness under the radar, here was this beacon that told the world about my hearing loss. My life before him is now unrecognisable.

The first time I was able to go to Boots and choose a lipbalm on my own, I just came home and cried. I was so overwhelmed by the freedom Tinker had brought me.

People now want to talk to me, and because it’s all about Tinker, that takes the pressure off me. I love it! When Tinker is with me, I just feel safe.

I have things to look forward to now. I’ve done things with Tinker that I could never have dreamt of before, like taking him to the theatre and visiting my dad in London. I’ve even taken him on a plane to Belfast to meet all my family.

Church is an important part of our family life but I would never have gone on my own before. Tinker and I are both part of the congregation now and everyone loves him!

I’m a primary school teacher and Tinker comes to work with me every day. The staff and pupils adore him. During lessons, he’s a model pupil. He lies down beside my desk, good as gold.

Occasionally, he goes for a little wander around the classroom and when he passes the children’s desks, they put their hands out to stroke him!

On several occasions, I’ve been in the classroom on my own when the fire alarm has gone off. Tinker nudges me and lays down to indicate the danger signal. Not having to rely on anyone else to leave the building is the best feeling.

It will always be hard for me to be happy without my mam. But now, I feel there is hope. In my wildest dreams, I could never have imagined that having Tinker would change my life in this way. The impact he’s had is just amazing.