Living without HEARING

To mark Deaf Awareness Week from 3 to 9 May, we speak to two women about their experiences

- GILLIAN HARVEY

‘If anything, it’s made me more successful’

Daniela Messenger, 42, is a revenue accountant from London.

As my mother is deaf, I had a 50% chance of being born with hearing issues. But, initially, it was thought I could hear normally. It was only when I was seven, and doctors realised I couldn’t hear certain high-frequency sounds, that anyone realised there was something wrong. Until then, my teacher had branded me as lazy and even made me wear a dunce’s cap at times – when actually I couldn’t hear instructions properly.

Over the years, I learnt to lip-read and developed tricks to cope with ordinary life – such as keeping an eye on the netball referee in case I missed a whistle. Most of the time, I didn’t feel any different from other children – although I do remember being upset when a boy in my class asked about my ‘funny voice’.

My hearing impairment didn’t stop me doing what I wanted, though. After finishing college at 18, I took a role in a finance department and studied accountancy in the evenings. In 2004, I met my husband, Steve, 43, and in 2011, I found out I was expecting – we were overjoyed.

Then, at six months pregnant, I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia. I suffered swollen legs, but also began to feel as if my ears were blocked, like being on a plane.

At 35 weeks, I gave birth to my daughter, Isabella, after being induced. Afterwards, my other symptoms subsided, but I was left profoundly deaf.