“When Harlow was diagnosed, it was very scary,” Amy recalls. “The whole process, trying to figure out why she had such a delayed speech, and then why her hearing tests were showing hearing loss, to finding out it’s LVAS, it was all very overwhelming.”

At just 15 months old, Harlow was fitted with her first hearing aid. In January 2024, her world changed even more dramatically when she received a cochlear implant, and the difference was remarkable. “The Cochlear Implant truly changed Harlow’s life and those close to her. Her speech has improved massively!” says Amy.

Harlow now uses a cochlear implant, supported by a Mini Mic in noisier settings to help her connect directly to sound. She also attends weekly speech therapy at Hear and Say, where her family has found not just expertise, but empathy.

“They’ve supported us through every step - audiology, therapy, my fears about her hearing, everything. Even when we had NDIS funding issues, they made sure Harlow didn’t miss a single session.”

While Amy still has moments of uncertainty, she says the journey has become less overwhelming, thanks to the people walking it with her. “I am forever grateful for the Hear and Say Team and Dr Parker. They dealt with many tears while awaiting surgery, after surgery and still to this day with ongoing, weekly speech therapy.”

For those considering supporting Loud Shirt Day, Amy has just one thing to say: “You’d be helping an absolutely amazing company and cause. Hear and Say have been our main support system.”