"I sleep easier at night knowing he’s there and looking out for us"
Posted by Matt Sadler
Natalie is profoundly deaf and relies on hearing aids and lipreading to communicate. Natalie and her husband Dave had always planned on starting a family, but Natalie was terrified of not hearing her baby cry if Dave wasn’t at home.
Since being partnered in 2022, hearing dog Waldo has allayed those fears, and Natalie and Dave are now very proud parents to seven-month-old George.
Natalie shares her story:
When I look back at the impact my hearing loss has had on my life, the overriding feeling is that of always being dependent on other people to be ‘my ears’. When I was young, it was my parents. At university, it was my flatmates, and when I got married, I relied on my husband to hear things for me.
I’ve suffered from anxiety in the past and often dread new situations or meeting people for the first time. Leading up to the day, I’ll be questioning whether the people I’m meeting will know how to interact with me, whether I’ll be able to hear them, or lip read them. In the past, this anxiety has been so great, I’ve even cancelled plans.
I work for the NHS as a Clinical Bioinformatician in a Genetics Laboratory, as part of a team helping identify patients with genetic conditions, including hearing loss. I’ve had to work extremely hard to get as far as I have in my career and I am very proud of what I’ve achieved, despite having a hearing loss.
It was my husband who first introduced me to Hearing Dogs when he bought me a puppy sponsorship for Christmas.
One of the main reasons I applied was that we planned to have a family. I knew that without my hearing aids, I wouldn’t be able to hear my baby cry, and that terrified me.
When my husband went away overnight, I would go to bed as late as possible and get up as early as possible so that I had less hours without my hearing aids in. I was worried about not hearing if someone were to break into the house, or if the smoke alarm went off.
I thought a hearing dog would alert me to these important sounds and the visibility of them in their burgundy jacket would also make other people more aware of my deafness, so I wouldn’t have to constantly explain myself.
It was hard admitting I needed help though. My parents raised me very much in the hearing world and expected me to be able to cope with everything. When I told them I was getting a hearing dog, they asked why!
Waldo came to live with us in October 2022. I was nervous to meet him, but it was amazing how quickly the bond between us grew.
Day or night, Waldo comes and nudges me to tell me that George is awake. It makes motherhood so much easier. They have a lovely bond together – Waldo is very loving with him. When Waldo walks in the room, George’s face lights up in a massive smile!
I sleep easier at night knowing he’s there and looking out for us. In the morning, he wakes me up for work by putting his paws up on the bed when the alarm clock goes off. And then jumps on the bed for a cuddle!
I’ve suffered from depression and anxiety in the past, and when I’m out walking Waldo, it just sorts my head out and makes me think about what’s important and what’s not.
Waldo also helps my confidence and makes visiting new places less stressful. Soon after I got him, we visited a National Trust property. As soon as she saw his burgundy jacket, the whole demeanour of the lady welcoming us changed. She spoke really clearly and just knew exactly what to do. It instantly put me at ease.
The best way to describe Waldo is a ‘gentle giant’. He’s calm and laid back at home, but with a cheeky side too. He never fails to bring a smile to our faces every day. He’s a big part of our family and I couldn’t imagine life without him.
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