Hearing the world again with a cochlear implant

Charlotte Young was in her twenties and working with her mum when small things started to stand out. She began missing parts of conversations. "My mum thought I was being rude. Someone would talk to me from behind, and I wouldn't respond," Charlotte recalls.

She finally agreed to go to a free hearing test. "I was 24 and didn't expect anything unusual. But the results said my hearing was like that of a 70-year-old." The news shocked her. She didn't believe it and tried to move on without support.

As time passed, things became harder, especially at work, where her mum often acted as her ears. At home, the family adapted without even noticing. When Charlotte became a mother in 2014, her son accepted their way of communicating as normal.

The experience affected more than just her hearing. "I lost a lot of confidence over the years. I avoided shops or social events because I was anxious. I always had to guess what people were saying. That's exhausting."

She tried hearing aids, as recommended by a private audiologist, a year later. "I thought it would fix everything. But the difference was small. I felt disappointed." She then tried NHS hearing aids, but they felt heavy and uncomfortable. "Everything sounded loud and painful."

Charlotte managed for years by lip-reading and using captions on video calls. She still had some low-frequency hearing, so she could make out deep sounds like men's voices or passing cars. But she couldn't hear high-pitched sounds at all, such as children's voices or birdsong. And her hearing kept getting worse. During a routine hospital visit in January 2022, an audiologist suggested she consider a cochlear implant. "At first, I thought it was too extreme," she says. But after speaking with the specialist team, she realised she could simply learn more without rushing into a decision. "That advice stuck with me."

In April, Charlotte travelled over 100 kilometres to James Cook Hospital for an assessment. The team confirmed that hearing aids would not help her much. "For the first time, someone explained exactly what was happening with my hearing. I felt heard, literally and emotionally."

She learned about a hybrid cochlear implant, which could preserve some of her residual hearing while helping with the rest. After several tests, she went ahead with surgery in November. "I was terrified. I'd never had an operation before. But the support was excellent."

The changes came fast. "After activation, I started hearing things I hadn't heard in years. The birds, conversations, little everyday sounds. I had forgotten them. Every day since, I've felt grateful." Now she can hear her 11-year-old son clearly, enjoy the theatre and cinema, and go to social events without anxiety. "It has completely changed my life, and my family's too."

Remote follow-up appointments are also now possible through her device. This saves her long travel times.

Charlotte mentors others going through similar journeys. She is part of a community supported by her implant provider, where she met people who know what living with hearing loss feels like. "We call each other 'CI besties'. It feels like family."

Charlotte shares one message with others considering a cochlear implant: "Ask questions, speak to professionals, and learn from people who've been there. Everyone's hearing loss is different, so you shouldn't compare yourself to others. But there's so much support, and so much life, waiting for you."