Surprise helping hand for Laois deaf couple faced with €10,000 hearing aids bill

A deaf couple from Laois have been offered free hearing aids by an Irish hearing company after their story was shared about their struggles with the high cost of replacing hearing aids.

James Reardon and Ruth McSkane, a working couple from Portarlington, said they felt like they were being penalised for working when they were faced with a €10,000 bill to replace their hearing aids.

Both James and Ruth are above the income threshold for a medical card and were struggling to pay the €10,000 bill every five to seven years to replace both of their hearing aids.

Ruth works as a Special Needs Assistant at The Holy Family School for the Deaf in Cabra, while James is a healthcare assistant for the Mental Health Services in Dublin. The couple have three small children together.

James said that without their hearing aids, they are left isolated from their community and children.

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"I have been using Ruth’s old hearing devices as she works in a school for the deaf and can sign with the children but without hearing devices, we are essentially both isolated from our community. We can’t talk with our neighbours we can’t talk to our children," the Portarlington man said.

The couple's story was shared on World Hearing Day by the national charity for the deaf, Chime. 

Since then, the Irish hearing health company, Blackberry Hearing, has provided them free hearing devices.

The company said they were shocked to learn of James and Ruth's story and wanted to help.

Matthew Gleeson, Managing Director of Blackberry Hearing said: "We were compelled to help, it is most unfair that a working couple who they themselves help other people and play an integral role in our community are not supported.

"We brought them to our Portlaoise clinic where our audiologist, Claire Bolger assessed their hearing with a view to finding an appropriate solution to assist their communication."

The cost of hearing devices is not the only issue facing the deaf community in Ireland. Blackberry Hearing's Managing Director also said that 12,000 children are on waiting lists for hearing checks with the HSE. 

This year's theme for World Hearing Day was paediatric care and Mr Gleeson urged everyone to take their hearing health seriously, especially children's.