Meet April.
Hi, my name is April and I am Hard of Hearing. In 2016 at the age of 25, I was diagnosed with Otosclerosis, a form of hearing loss caused by an abnormal growth of the bone in the middle ear. I am now on a mission to spread awareness, create conversations, and end the stigma surrounding hearing loss and hearing aids.
I was insecure about my hearing loss for a long time but now I am helping others feel confident in their hearing loss journeys too. Before I dive into my new course release, let me start by telling you how I got here.
April’s Diagnosis
Flabbergasted. Shocked. Overwhelmed. These are just a few of the feelings that rushed through my body sitting in the chair at the Audiology Clinic getting diagnosed with Otosclerosis. I was so embarrassed, ashamed, sad, angry. I really didn’t know how to process it. I heard what the Audiologist was saying but just couldn't believe it. I was only 25. How could I have hearing loss? How could I need a hearing aid? I remember leaving the office, and putting on my sunglasses because I could not hold in the tears. I called my parents immediately. I remember vividly where I was, walking up Younge Street across from the Toronto Eaton Centre wailing into the phoneI need a hearing aid! The only thing I remember was my parents saying “It’s okay, we will help you get one.”
At that moment that was the only additional information I could consume, everything else they said was just words.
To wear my hearing aid or not
I was stubborn. I was also grieving my hearing loss. I had convinced myself that I had enough hearing in my “good” ear I could get by without wearing it. I wasn't ready to accept the fact that I had hearing loss. I wore my hearing aid only when I felt that I needed to. But to be honest, I needed it from the beginning, I was stuck in the denial phase of grief. I worked in retail at the time and mentioned to my managers about my hearing aid because I felt compelled to. I didn’t want to put myself in a situation where I was unable to hear. Looking back at it I think the only reason I really struggled with telling people about my hearing loss was because of how it is depicted in movies and TV.
Something clicked one day and everything changed for me.
Starting my Channel
During the lockdown of 2020, I decided to write and self-publish a children's book called “What is Your Superpower?” The book was inspired by my journey with hearing loss.
My goal for the book was to start a conversation between kids and their parents about people with disabilities. (available on Amazon).
Just over a year after publishing my book, I decided to start an Instagram and YouTube Channel. Never in a million years did I ever think I would do something like this. But it has changed my life. This launched me into advocacy that I wasn’t really anticipating but have since welcomed with open arms. I started sharing my journey for myself. To cope, to grieve to just feel all the feels. Reflecting on my hearing loss journey, as corny as this sounds - I think I was made to have hearing loss to help people. I know, I know, that sounds strange to say but I truly feel that I am now on my life’s mission. To change the way people view hearing loss and hearing aids. I started creating different resources to help others.
Shifting your Mindset: Learning to enjoy your hearing loss
Since sharing my hearing loss journey publicly I have created a few different digital products to spread awareness, show how cool hearing aids are, and help others with their hearing loss. Most recently I launched my course Shifting Your Mindset: Learning to Enjoy Your Hearing Loss because I struggled with my hearing loss and wanted to share what I have learned so that I can help others.
You can find all of my digital products here - https://stan.store/hardtohearit
I encourage everyone to find a community or at the very least a person that you can confide in. Hearing loss can be an overwhelming experience but you do not have to go through it alone.
