The Earl family Nicola, Tony, Olivia, Benji and Sadie are the Earl family of New Plymouth, in Taranaki.

The Earl Family

Bruce received his cochlear implant on 16 November, 2021, a day he will always remember. He had been on the waiting list for the surgery for three years.

Bruce

Liam Melvin is brimming with enthusiasm and very outgoing. He’s a positive young 16-year-old who enjoys learning, loves being a part of the IT crew at his school Wellington College and participates in the Halberg Games when he can.

Liam

Ally Prasitdamrong has begun her university studies, and she’s inspired to be a speech and language therapist because of the help she received.

Ally

In those first few minutes of Louis’ cochlear implants being switched on, Leah and her husband John could see how their little boy’s world would change.

Louis

Just hours after his cochlear implant was switched on for the first time, Murray Beck celebrated by going to the supermarket to get a bottle of milk – by himself.

Murray

A year after receiving cochlear implants, 18-month-old Evan Mehlhopt uses more than 50 words and is starting to join sentences together.

Evan

When Renee Cain learned her son was born profoundly deaf she was in shock. It was 2016, and little Jackson was only days old when he was given a hearing test that all new babies receive, but his results weren’t what they’d hoped for.

Jackson

Barbara Bridewell’s family are no strangers to hearing loss. She and her four sisters all have varying degrees of hearing loss – though none as serious as Barbara.

Barbara

At 31-years-old, Alec Nash decided to follow his passion and study law at Victoria University. While a law degree is challenging in itself, he is thankful he had his cochlear implant throughout the journey.

Alec