Gift of Hearing: Success Stories
At Hidden Hearing, the Gift of Hearing initiative reflects our commitment to helping people reconnect with the sounds that matter most in their lives. Over time, we have supported individuals whose hearing loss had begun to affect everyday communication, confidence, and connection with loved ones.
Each person supported through the initiative has their own story, but all share a common outcome. A return to clearer conversations, more meaningful moments, and a better quality of life through improved hearing care and state-of-the-art hearing aid technology.
A whole lot of hearing given away by Hidden Hearing!
At Hidden Hearing, we love to give back to the local community, and we are delighted to announce that we have given away over €320,000 worth of hearing since we launched our Campaign for Better Hearing!
This has been a life-changing development for Margaret Monaghan, who lived with undiagnosed hearing loss from her early twenties while raising a family and building her career, and through Hidden Hearing’s Gift of Hearing she was able to reconnect with the world of sound and rediscover everyday moments she had been missing.
Tommy Swarbrigg
Tommy Swarbrigg, a respected figure in Irish music, has been named a recipient of Hidden Hearing’s Gift of Hearing programme, recognising the impact a lifetime in high volume environments has had on his hearing. As his hearing declined, conversations became more difficult, particularly in busy settings, and he began to miss out on important moments with his children and young grandchildren. Now fitted with discreet Oticon Own SI hearing aids, Tommy can once again enjoy clearer conversations and feel fully present with his family, a reminder of how the right hearing care can restore connection to the people and moments that matter most.
Annie McCaul
Annie McCaul, a 101-year-old from Dunlewey, has been awarded her first-ever hearing aids through Hidden Hearing’s Gift of Hearing campaign, recognising her as a truly deserving recipient. As a long-standing member of her community, Annie has lived a full life while navigating the challenges of hearing loss without assistance. Receiving these advanced hearing aids allows her to reconnect with the world of sound, fully engage with family and friends, and enjoy daily life with renewed independence, celebrating a remarkable milestone at an extraordinary age.
Jason Eastwood
Meet Jason, a 39-year-old father of two from Drogheda, has been named the latest recipient of The Gift of Hearing from Hidden Hearing in recognition of his resilience, dedication to family life, and contribution to his local community. Living with bilateral hearing loss for over a decade, Jason balances work as a barista with teaching Jiu Jitsu to young children, while remaining a positive role model to those around him. Now fitted with advanced hearing aids through the programme, he can reconnect more fully with his children, his work, and everyday moments many take for granted. His commitment to overcoming hearing challenges and supporting others made him a deserving recipient of this life changing hearing care.
Peggy Hopkins
Peggy, a familiar and well-loved member of the Gorey community, has dedicated years to volunteering, attending mass daily, and supporting local causes, making her a standout recipient of Hidden Hearing’s Gift of Hearing. Over time, she had begun to notice challenges following conversations and enjoying everyday sounds, which affected her ability to fully engage in the vibrant community around her. After being fitted with a new hearing aid, Peggy has regained clarity and confidence, allowing her to take part in conversations, social activities, and community life with renewed independence. Her story highlights how hearing care can transform everyday experiences and restore connection to the people and moments that matter most.
Margaret Monaghan
Margaret’s journey highlights the hidden impact of long-term hearing loss and the life changing difference the right hearing care can make. Margaret is a mother of two and accomplished professional, had been living with undiagnosed hearing loss since her early twenties. Often feeling isolated and struggling to connect despite her best efforts, building a career and raising her children while missing everyday sounds and conversations that others took for granted. It wasn’t until she attended Hidden Hearing in Galway and experienced hearing aids for the first time that she realised just how much she had been missing, and through the Gift of Hearing programme she received life-changing advanced hearing aids that restored clarity, confidence, and connection to the world around her, giving her the ability to engage fully with her family, colleagues, and community, and inspiring her to encourage others to take action and prioritise their hearing health before it’s too late.
Michael McCann
82-year-old school bus driver Michael McCann recently had his fitting in our Cavan clinic, where he received some complimentary Oticon Real hearing aids as part of Hidden Hearing’s Campaign for Better Hearing.
Michael has had a difficult time of it the past few years, even though he's always doing good for others. He lost two fingers whole mowing a lawn for a friend who had cancer and underwent a hip replacement last year. So, it was about time that Michael's luck started to change for the better!
Michael was suffering from such severe untreated hearing loss
that he hadn't quite grasped that he had won free hearing
aids when he was told over the phone! Needless to say, he’s over-the-moon with his new hearing aids and can now hear properly again.
Úna Walsh
Fourteen-year-old Úna Walsh struck a chord with millions of TV viewers when she performed ‘A Million Dreams’ from ‘The Greatest Showman’ on her harp during this year’s Late Late Toy Show. Úna and her mum Barbara attended our Wexford clinic yesterday to get the young musician fitted with some new Oticon More hearing aids by local audiologist Stephen Kelly. Oticon aids have world class hearing technology, with advanced Bluetooth device that supports how the brain naturally works. This allows wearers to experience a full and rich sound scene with complete clarity. Úna's new rechargeable aids also have a Connect Clip that she can use in her classroom in school which adds to their effectiveness and efficiency. We hope you love them Úna!
Louis Moore
20-year-old Louis Moore has suffered from hearing loss for as long as he can remember. His earliest memories of hearing loss are from primary school. He would always sit towards the front of the class and had to face his good ear to the teacher which meant that it was difficult for him to read the board. Louis grew tired of asking people to repeat themselves constantly. Louis’s mother recommended hearing aids, but Louis was terrified of the stigma associated with them.
Louis is now studying medicine in college. Louis loves listening to music but removing his hearing aids to insert earphones makes losing them a real concern. Louis’s new Oticon More hearing aids have in-built Bluetooth technology which allows a seamless connection between the aids and smart devices. Plus, they are so small he is not conscious anymore!
Paddy Conaghan
Paddy Conaghan took on a remarkable challenge last December by taking a dip and a dive in every beach in Ireland in aid of mental health service - Gemma's Legacy of Hope.
While the Arranmore Island native was rising to the challenge and raising funds for this worthy cause, he lost his hearing aids! Hidden Hearing's Galway branch came to the rescue, thanks to their Clinic Coordinator Aoife. Paddy was given the Gift of Hearing just in time for Christmas!
Grainne Hines
Congratulations to Gráinne Hines - a very worthy Gift of Hearing recipient. Gráinne is committed to giving back to her local community and is keenly involved with her local Active Retirement Group. Gráinne’s hearing loss impacted her ability to take part in the group's Zoom calls during Lockdown and severely impacted her ability to effectively promote the work that her organisation does on local radio. Gráinne's new state-of-the-art hearing aids will help her to get her life back on track. Oticon hearing aids contain high-spec technology that allows the user to connect their hearing aids to their smart phone, tablet, laptop or tv and sound can be streamed directly to the ear. Social settings and phone calls will be handled with ease with the Oticon's background noise reducing feature. And the best part is they’re rechargeable!
