villageadvertorial The gift of hearing was celebrated through breaking down the barriers with champagne, conversation and of social isolation or through laughter at the Victoria Park Golf allowing implant recipients to Club when more than 70 recipients maintain productive places in the of cochlear implants gathered with workforce,” Karen said. members of the Attune implant “The positive and outgoing team to celebrate 21 years of attitude that most of them now the life-changing procedure in have for life makes them great Queensland. ambassadors for a program which Since requires 1992, the a lot of Queenslanddetermination Builders, GPs, Engineers, Teachers, based Attune – and some Hearing team business managers and performing courage – to has restored undertake. artists are among the Queenslanders hearing to “Critical to who have benefited from cochlear 315 severethe program’s implants. to-profoundly positive deaf adults outcomes and children, is a teamranging in age from six months based approach. In addition to the to 93 years, using the Australianworld-class work of our implant developed cochlear implant surgeons, specialist audiologists technology. and a psychologist work with The causes of deafness among recipients both before and after the adults seeking implants range from procedure to assess suitability and severe infection and head injury to then to help them to adapt to a new congenital factors. world of hearing after the device is Implant program manager Karen activated.” Pedley said that, while cochlear Builders, GPs, Engineers, implants for young children Teachers, business managers and understandably captured most performing artists are among the public attention, the benefits Queenslanders who have benefited for adult recipients could not be from cochlear implants. understated. Karen Pedley says one of the “We’ve seen lives turned around most rewarding cases was that of
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villagenews August 2013
Cake made by “The Cake Girl”
Celebrating the gift of hearing
Dr Bruce Black (Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon), Patrick Gallagher (Chairman of Attune), Karen Pedley (Hearing Implant Manager), Shaun Hand (General Manager Aus/NZ Cochlear Ltd), Dr Andrew Lomas (ENT), Dr David Bell-Allen. a retired bank manager – a once speakers’ club and is again taking active, outgoing man who had an active role in his retirement gradually withdrawn from social community.” interaction as his deafness became For further information, please more severe. contact Gary Fites on 0418 743 “Since receiving his implant he 094 or Connie Robinson on 0410 has re-joined his local Toastmasters 470 488.