“Luca really is a life-changer."

Luca made it! He has officially become a hearing dog!

He has been partnered with Nikki. While she’s made the most of life, she has found that deafness has caused her to feel isolated and depressed. With Luca around, she’s regained the confidence to step back into the world.

Living life, but struggling

When Nikki turned 21, just as she completed training to be a nurse, she noticed she was struggling to hear people properly. An ENT consultant confirmed that she had progressive deafness. As her father and grandfather were deaf, it was thought to be a hereditary condition.

Not one to be daunted, Nikki got on with life. She married, had a family, and became a Specialist Nurse on a one-to-one basis with patients.

However, Nikki found deafness challenging. She says: “I lacked confidence in social settings, as I missed out on conversations. I took early retirement to look after my parents, so it was difficult to get out socially. After they died, I found it difficult to socialise again.

“I have suffered periods of depression, because deafness can be very isolating. But things really started getting on top of me. I joined a Women’s Institute group but could not hear the speakers and found the social side hard.

“My confidence reached an all-time low. I was missing callers to the house because I hadn’t heard the doorbell. I was also anxious at night when my husband was away with work.

“Lockdown made things worse. The hardest part for me was the facial coverings. I found it embarrassing not being able to understand people in the shops. I became reclusive.”

Lovely, loving Luca!

Clearly Nikki needed some help. When she came to us, we realised that Luca, with his cheeky ways, might be the perfect companion. So, was that the right decision?

Nikki smiles. “Luca is so loving. I don’t know what I would do without him. He has lightened my mood and is an absolute joy.

“He helps me in so many ways. He tells me about the doorbell and alarm clock, and he helps me feel safe at nights, because I know he’ll tell me if there’s a smoke or fire alarm.

“But it’s the feeling of reconnection that is so very important. He is getting me out again with his daily walks.

“I’ve managed to go back into the shops, despite the ongoing issues with facial coverings. This is because I’m no longer afraid to tell people I’m deaf, plus when they see Luca’s burgundy Hearing Dogs coat, they really try to help me. I’ve always been in denial about my deafness, so this is huge for me.“

Luca is a great match for my lifestyle. He is happy to come out for a pub lunch and settle under the table, but equally happy to go on a nature ramble. He is very affectionate and amazing with my six-year-old granddaughter, which was very important for me.

“I love telling people about how he’s my hearing dog. Everyone falls in love with him because he’s so handsome. A friend jokingly asked if he would father their pet’s puppies!”

“He’s wonderful. He is such a cheeky boy especially around food, which really entertains me. I think he would do anything for a treat.

“Luca is a great companion. We make a wonderful team. I think our partnership will go from strength to strength.”

A future together

Nikki is so grateful for your support. She tells us: “I would like to thank all Luca’s sponsors from the bottom of my heart. I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to have a hearing dog who really is a life-changer.”

Even when Luca was very young, we called him ‘a bit naughty, but nice’!

Today, his cheeky nature and amazing training have completely changed Nikki’s life – and this is thanks to you for supporting him. Your kindness has made every step along his journey possible.

Deafness continues to rise, and it would be wonderful if you would sponsor another puppy starting out on a new training journey. Whatever you decide, from all of us at Hearing Dogs, from all our volunteers and trainers, but most of all from Nikki… thank you so much for sponsoring Luca.