Winnie is with Ralph at home and at work, helping him lead a full life

Winnie is a hearing dog!

Winnie made it! Hurray!

Ralph struggled with people’s lack of awareness of his ‘hidden disability’. Now, Winnie is with him at home and at work, helping him lead a full life.

The challenges of deafness

“We’re not entirely sure why I’m deaf,” says Ralph. “My family think I have been deaf since birth and it was ‘discovered’ when I was around two years old. Since then I have worn hearing aids.

“Everyone was supportive, and I adapted well to home and school life. However, when I left home to move to London, I noticed I would miss really important sounds, such as the doorbell or, even more importantly, the fire alarm. This was especially worrying when I was alone in my flat.

“I also struggled with alarm clocks. They just didn’t wake me up. As I work in the City, I have lots of meetings, and I needed to be absolutely confident I could not just be there on time, but also be able to use public transport to get there in the first place.

“Then, during meetings, while they generally went well, there were occasions where people didn’t know about my deafness, and assumed I was ignoring them.

“I also found socialising difficult. I have to make sure that people are facing me when talking to me. Once people are aware, they are usually very considerate, but it’s getting that awareness across in the first place that I’ve needed help with.”

These combined issues made Ralph realise that, to make his way in the world, he would need support. So, along came Winnie!

Full of love

Ralph smiles: “Winnie has been really helpful in raising awareness, because of her burgundy Hearing Dogs coat. This means that people are more likely to take consideration of my hearing loss.

“This makes work meetings much easier. She’ll also let me know when the weekly fire alarm goes off, which is very reassuring. I’m happy to say, she comes with me to work on the District Line! She’s very popular with all the commuters.

“She’s also made a huge difference to my home life. She’s excellent at waking me up on time, and I can now hear all the important doorbells for the deliveries of dog treats and toys!

“Winnie is so attentive. I feel safe with her. She’s also funny: she’s always keen to get up to mischief on our walks. She wanders off, then comes right back when called, proud to show me what she has discovered.

“If I were to sum her up it would be: full of love.”

So there you have Winnie. From being a cute, cuddly puppy, through your support, she now helps Ralph on a daily basis. It would be wonderful if you could consider sponsoring another puppy, and helping another deaf person. However you decide, from Ralph, and from all of us at Hearing Dogs for Deaf People… thank you.