"Otis has given me my life back, in ways I cannot put into words"

Otis is a hearing dog! Hurray!

Thanks to your help in sponsoring him, Otis is now helping Gail to break out from her four walls, and build the confidence to reconnect with the world around her.

The challenges of hearing loss

Gail was born deaf. She has a missing gene on her father’s side causing hereditary deafness, which was diagnosed when she was 18 months old.

“Growing up with hearing loss was tough,” says Gail. “I was put off using a hearing aid (called a hearing loop) at school when I had to sit at the front of the class with the box around my neck. I decided I would never use hearing aids again. So, I developed a talent for lipreading.”

Even with her lipreading skills, Gail has found life challenging as a person with hearing loss. “I find social situations hard. I’m OK one-on-one, with somebody who understands about my disability. However, in a group situation it’s difficult to keep up. So, I tend to avoid large groups.”

This ‘avoidance’ is entirely understandable, and is common to many deaf people. They can find being around people so exhausting, so stressful, that their worlds shrink and they can become very isolated.

Gail agrees. “I used to enjoy my own company and my own four walls too much. This definitely led to isolation. As a result, I suffered with extreme anxiety. “I’ve had lots of bad experiences, such as getting on a wrong train carriage, or not evacuating a supermarket, because I didn’t hear the tannoy announcement. As a result, I wouldn’t go out on my own. Little did I know how
this would change for me this year.”

Indeed – little did Gail know of the impact Otis was going to have!

Life with Otis

So, what has been the impact? Gail smiles: “Life has completely changed. I can wake with the help of Otis jumping on the bed when my alarm goes off. I can cook knowing I can leave the kitchen and Otis will alert me when the timer goes off. I can fi nally sleep soundly now I know Otis will alert me to the smoke alarm if it goes off. He’s made a huge difference and I can’t imagine life without him already.”

It doesn’t stop there however. Otis is helping Gail to reconnect with the world around her too. “I can shop with confidence, knowing that if there’s an announcement, people will see Otis’s burgundy jacket, understand that I am deaf, and will help me. “I am out and about all the time with Otis now. This is a huge step forward for me. I no longer feel isolated within four walls.”

Otis has also helped Gail during the second lockdown and social distancing. “I cannot tell you how bad my anxiety was when face coverings became mandatory, meaning I could not lipread. However, people see Otis and his coat, and remove their masks if they need to communicate with me. It really, really helps. People are generally much more understanding, and no longer think I’m ignorant, which is a huge issue with this ‘hidden disability’.”

“Otis has given me my life back, in ways I cannot put into words. I’m finally independent, happy and content. Thank you to everyone who’s given me my little life-saver.”

This is a wonderful outcome. Just think: when we started this journey together, Otis was our ‘born explorer’, a cute puppy who loved chasing leaves.

Meanwhile, Gail was having a very hard time. Now they’re together, and everything has just fallen into place. Gail has broken free of her isolation, with Otis by her side. This would not have happened without your support.

Deafness is rising however. As one puppy’s journey ends, another begins. It would be wonderful if you would consider sponsoring another puppy. However you decide, from Gail, from Otis, from all the volunteers and trainers, and from all of us at Hearing Dogs for Deaf People… thank you!