When 61 year old Carole Wilson from Praze-An-Beeble in Cornwall went for her weekly trip to the swimming baths, the last thing she expected was to be struck down with a virus which would result in her losing her hearing in one ear.
It was as part of her job working with children with special educational needs that Carole used to take a young boy swimming once a week: “It was one week in December 2004 that I took one of the boys swimming,” Carole explains. “The instructor asked me to put my head under the water in the hope that it would encourage the boy to do the same, and he would get used to the water. The following week, I came down with a terrible virus and while it cannot be confirmed for definite, the doctor said it was most likely I picked up the virus at the swimming baths.”

The virus Carole contracted left her bed ridden for most of December and affected her hearing badly, so much so that her worried parents paid for Carole to see a specialist privately to avoid NHS waiting lists. It was this specialist who discovered that the nerves in Carole’s ear had been left severed and her hearing was permanently lost.

Carole said “The hearing in my right ear was also affected and is not good now and I have an NHS hearing aid I have to wear. I’m not finding that it helps much and I find wearing it uncomfortable. I never would have thought that a routine trip to the swimming baths would change my life so much. After losing my hearing I had to give up my job working with children and I miss that very much. Some days I feel that life is passing me by now. I have a job part time in a supermarket to help pass the time, and give me something to do.”

Vivienne Michael, Chief Executive of Deafness Research UK, said: “Unexpected and sudden hearing loss can have a dramatic effect on people’s lives and Carole’s case is no exception. It is not unusual for people to have to make huge lifestyle changes and hearing loss can often take a while for people to adapt to and come to terms with. Deafness Research UK is here to offer help, support and practical information to people faced with the challenges sudden hearing loss brings.”

Deafness Research UK is the country’s only charity dedicated to finding new cures, treatments and technologies for the deaf, hard of hearing and other hearing impaired people including tinnitus sufferers.

For information on research into deafness and other hearing conditions, log on to the website, www.deafnessresearch.org.uk