Last week, Year 11 student Gemma Tancred was interviewed by Alexia Austin at The Chronicle about her current fundraiser, advocating for the Hear and Say Centre.

In her own words, here is Gemma's story:

At the age of six, I was diagnosed with LVAS (Large Vestibular Aqueduct Syndrome). It was supposedly caused by a couple of head knocks I had that year. After being fitted with hearing aids a few months later, my comprehension of tasks started to improve. When I was nine, it was realised that a hearing aid for my right ear wasn’t the most successful device. We visited an organization by the name of Hear and Say and they changed my life. They fitted me with a cochlear implant and made me feel so supported and normal.I have been involved with Hear and Say for seven years and have finally been granted the opportunity to give back by fundraising for their campaign, Loud Shirt Day.I have been advocating for those who don’t have the money to afford to pay for appointments and surgeries along with everything else that comes with having a cochlear implant. Hear and Say have not just guided me in ways to improve the listening capabilities that come from being deaf, they have helped make sure that I am getting the best technology possible to help complete my final years of schooling.I would be great to see that others are willing to give to Hear and Say and help those who are less fortunate than us. My fundraising page so far has raised a total of $216 and is still thriving with a fundraising box now available at the Westbrook SPAR. Well done, Gemma! What an excellent example of advocacy and service in our community.

If you would like to contribute to Gemma's fundraising, the link is: https://events.hearandsay.com.au/my-fundraising/209/Gemmas-Loud-Shirt-Day-2020

You can read the article about Gemma on The Chronicle's website:

https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/teen-advocates-for-service-which-helped-restore-he/4097551/