26/09/2026
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/pitterpatterdaynursery-jones?utm_medium=CF&utm_source=CL
💛 Carmarthenshire Audiology Fundraiser-1st October 2026 💛
Heledd hearing journey
When Heledd was born, like every new parent, we never imagined that we would be starting our journey with hearing loss. Her newborn hearing screening was something we expected to be a routine part of those first few days, but she unfortunately didn’t pass. We went back for further screening and, after failing it three times, we were referred to the audiology team.
Just before Christmas, we attended our first audiology appointment, where we were told that Heledd had bilateral moderate hearing loss.
It was a lot to take in. Suddenly, there were so many questions and so much uncertainty. As parents, one of the hardest things was not knowing exactly what Heledd could hear. We wondered whether she could hear our voices, whether she could hear us singing to her, and whether she could hear us when we whispered those three little words every parent wants their baby to hear — “I love you.”
With Heledd’s hearing loss being moderate, she can hear many of the louder sounds around her, but it is the softer speech sounds and quieter letter sounds that are more difficult for her to hear clearly. This can make some parts of speech harder for her to pick up, which is why her hearing aids are so important in helping to make those sounds clearer and bringing the world of sound to her.
At just two months old, Heledd was fitted with her hearing aids.
We like to call them her magic ears. 💗
We will never forget the moment she first put them on. Watching her little face light up as she heard our voices more clearly was truly magical. It was as though a whole new world had opened up to her — and to us. Something that had initially felt so frightening suddenly gave us so much hope.
Since then, Heledd has had lots of appointments and tests to help understand where her hearing loss has come from. There have been plenty of new things for us to learn and lots of moments where we have worried about what the future might hold.
But through it all, Heledd has been amazing.
She has taken to her magic ears so brilliantly. She is the most talkative, alert, curious and nosy little girl. She is constantly babbling, making different sounds, chatting away to herself and taking everything in around her. She has such a funny little personality and is always making us laugh.
Looking back at how worried we were at the beginning, it is incredible to see the beautiful, funny, happy and non-stop babbling little girl she is today.
Her hearing loss is a part of her story, but it certainly doesn’t define her.
We cannot thank the Carmarthenshire Audiology Team and our hearing teacher enough for the amazing support they have given us. They have been there to answer our questions, reassure us when things felt overwhelming and help us understand how best to support Heledd. Knowing that we have such wonderful people around us has made such a difference.
We also know that there are so many families who are at the very beginning of their own hearing loss journey — families who may be sitting where we once were, feeling scared, overwhelmed and unsure of what comes next.
That is why this fundraiser means so much to us.
By raising money for Carmarthenshire Audiology Department , we hope we can help other families feel a little less alone. We want other parents to have access to the support, advice and reassurance they need when they receive a diagnosis that can initially feel so frightening.
Because although we remember the worry we felt at the beginning, what we see now is our incredible little girl, happily wearing her magic ears, discovering the world around her and finding her voice.
And we couldn’t be prouder of her. 💗
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/pitterpatterdaynursery-jones?utm_medium=CF&utm_source=CL
