“It’s ironic that when you have a hearing loss, you’re probably the last to know – or I should say, accept it,” says Clement, cracking a wry smile.

Like many kids, Joe developed a love of music from an early age. “I play guitar, and I’ve played for years – mostly too loud when I was younger,” he admits with a grin.

SaWan found out she had a hearing loss in her late twenties. She was flying to Italy for work, but once she landed, both her eardrums had ruptured.

Most people find out that they have a hearing loss as they get older. But Karen is part of the small minority who are diagnosed with an issue from an early age.

Danayjah began showing signs of a hearing loss back in elementary school.

In September 2008, Michael began to notice he had a hearing loss accompanied by tinnitus.

Peter recalls his surprise when he learned his hearing loss was obvious to others.

“I didn’t understand what was going on until I noticed that I wasn’t hearing clearly,” she says. “I was nervous because I didn’t know how to go about getting hearing aids.”

Kirsten says she learned about her hearing loss “when I didn’t pass an audiology exam after thyroid surgery.”

Like many others, Andrew delayed seeing a specialist about his hearing loss for many decades. Except, it wasn’t until 2019 that he had a life-changing epiphany that possibly saved his life.