With the wonderful support of my counsellor, hearing therapist, audiologist, hearing association, family, friends, work colleagues, technology, and those others who deal with a hearing loss, I am now striving to live my life to the fullest, says Wanda
Receiving the Queen’s Service Medal (QSM) for community contribution in Nelson and being able to participate in committee meetings is an important part of 89-year-old John Harwood’s social life.
Josef and Ashleigh are grateful for all the support they have received, and they reflect now on how Fynley’s first year involved a whirlwind of change that was overwhelming at times.
Speaking to groups and presenting training sessions at work again are huge milestones for Sally Blondell after her cochlear implant was switched on earlier in 2024.
In June 2025, Pam became a member of the SCIP whānau after receiving her cochlear implant. She shared with us how things have been going since the surgery.
Medical student Eva Bergler is a trailblazer in her profession and in the ultra-marathons she undertakes in her leisure time. Her cochlear implants have opened doors for her career pathways.
When Zak Dawson-Ropata was 15 months old, he became the first child of Deaf parents to get a cochlear implant in New Zealand. Zak is now 19 and his nine-year old brother Max has bilateral cochlear implants.
Skylar Mitchell, aged 10 months, had an important operation earlier this year and now her “ears” match her brother’s. Skylar’s mum Sophie tells of her daughter receiving cochlear implants and having them switched on the next day so she could hear.
Mum of five Stephanie received her cochlear implant in September 2023, and in just a few months, the change in her life has been profound.
Octogenarian Lenni Allen has proved you are never too old to get a cochlear implant, and her message to others is, “Get it done, you won’t regret it.”
