Anne's story

People in this video
Louise Craddock, Audiological Scientist and Cochlear Implant Programme Co-ordinator, The Midlands Adult Cochlear Implant Programme at University Hospital Birmingham
Claire Fielden, Audiological Scientist
Anne, who gets her cochlear implant switched on
Ron, Anne’s husband

Louise Craddock: I am Louise Craddock and I am the co-ordinator of the Midlands Adult Cochlear Implant Programme and also the Chair of the British Cochlear Implant Group.

Anne is one of several patients that we’ve seen recently who has been clinically very suitable for an implant. We knew an implant would be of benefit to her.

But unfortunately, because of where she lived the funding wasn’t made available by her funding authority. Anne contacted us to see if we could push her case forward and the trust contracts department and myself fought Anne's cause for her.

But Anne also received a lot of support from the RNID to help lobby her case, and the RNID has been very supportive to quite a group of our patients who have been denied treatment because of the postcode lottery that still exists in our profession, in our field, and the RNID has been working very collaboratively with other professional organisations like BCIG.

Anne: If you have a cochlear implant it is not only for yourself that you have it, but it also improves the lives of the people around you. It can be hard work living with somebody who is hard of hearing and I think it benefits the people who you live with, and your friends. It improves their quality of life as well.

Louise Craddock: It’s great that after quite a battle with her funding authority but because of the support from us, her MP and particularly the RNID she has now come to the point of having her switch on today and it has been the end of quite a traumatic journey for her I think, and we are all keeping our fingers crossed that the switch on goes well for her.

Claire Fielden: That's fine…all looking well so far. The X-ray image is fine…normal positioning …that image represents the electrode ray, 22 separate channels on the electrode which has been inserted into the cochlear. I am just going to have a feel around for the position of the coil. Your hair is quite thick… oh, I’ve found it straight away… now we will activate all your channels. Good. Pulsing…can you pick up my voice?

Anne: Oh yes! [laughter] This is nothing like I thought. When I walked in the room I struggled to hear what you were saying. Now I can hear you quite clearly… it’s really strange… it’s so much clearer… I think I will get used to it very quickly. In just the short time we've been talking..(Claire) Yes it does start to settle. It’s such a shock when you switch it on, because you just can’t imagine what it is going to be like.

Ron: We can have the sound on the television now! Have to get all your old Beatles records out! Come on! One happy wife.

Anne: Well, I have had the most fantastic morning here … it’s been absolutely wonderful. It's exceeded all my expectations. I haven’t been able to hear this clearly for the last five, six years. I am going to go home now and the first thing I want to do is see my grandchildren. I can’t wait to see them and hopefully I'll be able to hear them.

I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to the RNID for all their help and their support in securing the funding, without which I wouldn’t have been able to have this opportunity.