Starting your hearing health journey can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re unsure of what to expect. Because of lingering stigma or outdated ideas about hearing aids, many people delay treatment for 5-7 years, sometimes longer. That said, hearing loss doesn’t have to be a barrier to living fully.
At Wavefront Centre, we believe in the power of listening – both to the sounds around us and each other. So, we asked a few of our clients to share what inspired them to take that first step, how they felt supported along the way, and what life sounds like now.
Jonathan: “Do not go anywhere else!”
Jonathan remembers the first time he realized his hearing needed help – he recalls it being “frightening”.
“My hearing loss was sudden and severe, and the uncertainty of what caused it, what it meant, and how serious it was felt overwhelming,” he says.
Before contacting Wavefront Centre, he harboured several anxieties, especially due to the unknown, all of which were heightened by entering his seventies around the same time.
However, Jonathan’s first impression of the clinic was very positive.
“The friendly and welcoming reception left me very impressed, particularly with the knowledge and professionalism of staff like Goska, and I was relieved to find that the clinic was not linked to profit-making.”
Jonathan is glad to report that his life has improved enormously since wearing hearing aids; they have been instrumental in helping him manage his tinnitus and hearing loss.
“To anyone concerned about their hearing, Wavefront Centre has my 100% recommendation— do not go anywhere else!”
Khusrau: “Do it! You won’t regret it, it’s life changing.”
Khusrau remembers feeling isolated and embarrassed upon realizing his hearing challenges.
“I was unable to hear everything, which made me feel like I was missing out on understanding what others were saying.”
Despite knowing he already had some hearing loss, he didn’t have any fears or concerns before contacting Wavefront Centre; his neurologist recommended the clinic, and he trusted her input.
“Wavefront Centre’s team were great and made me feel at ease while offering a solution to my hearing loss,” Khusrau says. “Since getting hearing aids, I can hear better, I no longer feel isolated, and can participate more in conversations.”
For anyone concerned about their hearing and considering a visit, he would emphatically tell them to do it!
“You won’t regret it, it’s life changing.”
Tara: “I no longer worry about missing parts of conversations, and I can enjoy family dinners and outdoor activities with heightened awareness.”
“In high school, while sitting at the back of the classroom, I could see the teacher’s mouth move but heard no clear words,” Tara reminisces. “Looking back on that, I realized that I’d had hearing problems even before then. When I was in grade 2, I couldn’t hear a movie playing in class and cried out of confusion.”
Tara remembers being mistakenly placed in the ESL program in fifth grade, because her teacher felt my English skills were lacking, but she realised later that “it was probably because I couldn’t hear well enough.”
It wasn’t until she was diagnosed with congenital hearing impairment as a teenager that everything started making sense.
“At that time, I was embarrassed to be different and worried about fitting in with a hearing impairment. My concerns also extended to whether my poor immigrant parents could afford hearing aids or how they might feel guilty for not noticing sooner.”
Before contacting Wavefront Centre, Tara had several fears and concerns. Would people treat her weirdly for being young with a hearing impairment? Could she afford hearing aids? Would someone try to take advantage of her?
But these worries were eased after her first appointments at Wavefront’s old Kitsilano location.
“My first audiologist at Wavefront Centre, Yinda, was amazing,” Tara says. “As an active teenager, I wanted to fit in, and Yinda helped me by accommodating my hearing aid preferences. They patiently explained my hearing aids, accessories, the nature of my hearing loss, and how to effectively manage it.”
Now, as a clinical pharmacist in a hospital, hearing aids are indispensable to Tara’s job as she consults with patients, allied health professionals, nurses, and physicians daily. Without hearing aids, she says that she wouldn’t be able to work safely, which would put patients’ health and lives at risk.
Outside of work, these aids have also boosted her confidence: “I no longer worry about missing parts of conversations, and I can enjoy family dinners and outdoor activities with heightened awareness.”
For anyone concerned about their hearing and considering visiting Wavefront Centre, Tara says that “they are inclusive, accommodating, and won’t take advantage of you, given that they are a nonprofit.”
Every hearing journey is unique, and it’s yours to begin!
Whether you’re struggling to hear a loved one’s voice or just starting to wonder if you’re missing out, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to figure it out by yourself.
At Wavefront Centre, our team of hearing health professionals and communication accessibility experts is here to help you hear the life you love, on your terms.
Take the first step today.
Contact us today to get started on your hearing health journey.
