"Rico has completely changed my life."
Posted by Matt Sadler
Do you remember sponsor puppy Rico? Now all grown up, he is Sandra’s hearing dog and is making an incredible difference to her life every day.
Sandra shares her story:
“In my early 30s I was diagnosed with damage to the auditory nerves, known as sensorineural hearing loss. I’ve been wearing hearing aids for 15 years.
“At home, this means that I often don’t hear the doorbell, cooker timer and alarm clock. The doorbell is a particular problem: I work from home as an Osteopath, and I need to know when patients arrive.
“I also worry a lot about missing sounds like the smoke alarm, especially if my husband isn’t around.
“Going out, it can be hard work, especially in noisy environments like restaurants and pubs. I can’t follow the conversation and miss out on jokes. It can make me feel very isolated.
“I already knew about Hearing Dogs because, amazingly, my husband sponsored Rico for me as a birthday present! So, I’d been following his journey as a sponsor, and was thrilled to be matched with him.
“Rico has completely changed my life. I worry a lot less now when I’m at home on my own. I know that Rico will tell me about the smoke alarm, and that gives me a massive amount of comfort.
“He tells me about all the sounds I missed around the house. He’s especially brilliant at telling me when patients arrive. They love him and give him lots of fuss!
“They’re the practical aspects of his help, but his emotional impact has also been huge. I generally feel a lot less lonely, and much safer with him by my side.
“He is very affectionate and cuddles up to me at every opportunity. He is definitely a ‘cuddle monster’. He also loves being out in the park and runs for miles on our daily walks. He is very fast, and we have nicknamed him Rico The Rocket!
“Thank you so much to everyone who sponsored Rico and enabled me to receive this gorgeous lad. It feels as if it was meant to be, but it could not have happened without your kindness.”
Sponsor a puppy and change a deaf person's life
These cute puppies are training to become life-changers. Sponsor them from £5 a month and follow their journey as they learn how to help a deaf person.
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