Hi, I’m Carly, the founder of this website. I am originally from a small seaside town in the UK called Bridlington and I am currently living with my partner on the east coast of Spain.
About the Founder and the Making of this Site
My story begins on a very normal day. It was 29th August 2016, I was 34. I was sitting in an auditorium listening to a guest speaker giving a presentation at the school where I was working as a teacher.
I lifted my head up from my notetaking and suddenly, my head and ears filled with pressure and there was a loud screeching sound. I started to feel disorientated, and everything was spinning around me. This is how I lost the hearing in my left ear. There wasn’t an infection, and I wasn’t feeling unwell. The world to the left to me just fell abruptly into silence.
Sharing My Story – My Blog
At the time of my hearing loss, I was living and teaching in Spain. Away from my family, support was limited and difficult to access in a language I was still in the early stages of learning. I needed to tell my story. I wanted to raise awareness of sudden hearing loss as a condition, and the everyday challenges of living with hearing loss. In December 2016, I started my blog, My Hearing Loss Story, as a way of sharing my story with others.
Emails began landing in my inbox, from people looking for support following a sudden hearing loss, and how to manage associated issues such as tinnitus and anxiety. I took comfort in being able to help people through their difficulties. I listened to every story with sympathy and as much support as I knew how to.
Hearing Loss Support Group
In December 2019, I created the My Hearing Loss Story Facebook support group which is a place where people with hearing loss can share their stories, ask questions, and offer support to each other. I realised there is so much value in sharing experiences and connecting with others.
Failing to Understand the Emergency
I didn’t know anything about sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) until it happened to me. I didn’t know a sudden drop in hearing should be treated as an emergency.
I thought my hearing would come back by itself, perhaps after a good sleep. I was tired and busy setting up my classroom for my new class, I didn’t feel like I had time to be ill.
Unfortunately, due to not being aware of SSNHL as a condition and the emergency of the situation, I sought medical attention too late, missing the ideal 48-hour window to begin treatment.
Creating this Website
I am now passionate about bringing awareness to SSNHL.
In January 2021, I crowdfunded to raise money to fund the creation of this website. I hope this will be a place where people who have been affected by sudden hearing loss will be able to find information and support.
In the creation of this website, I have been supported by hearing loss and tinnitus organisations and charities, audiologists, and hearing aid manufacturers and providers – a complete list of acknowledgements can be found here.
I truly hope this resource will prompt people affected to seek immediate medical attention, to begin treatment as soon as possible, helping them to have the best chance of recovering their hearing.
Becoming a Transformational Coach for People with Hearing Loss
To offer further support to people on their hearing loss journeys, I retrained as a Transformation Coach.
My coaching mission is to help people affected by hearing loss, giving them the tools to empower themselves, move forward positively, achieve their goals, and live a life they are proud of.
Transformational Coaching is a conversation and a relationship that explores your personal beliefs, values, behaviours, and purpose. It focuses on moving forwards, setting goals, and working towards achieving them.
For people with hearing loss, Transformational Coaching can be used to explore topics such as the following:
- How to be your own advocate
- Overcoming feelings of low confidence and/or isolation
- How to enable effective communication with partners, friends, family, and colleagues
- Moving forward positively with your hearing loss
And, so much more!
I hope to support many people in moving forwards positively with their hearing loss. For more information on my coaching service, visit my coaching website:
Sudden Hearing Loss Support 