The Story of Sheila
Deafness came into my life at the age of 13, in May 1999. I had meningococcal meningitis, which led to not only losing my hearing, but also my balance and my ability to swim.
Oh swimming… how I loved being in the water on a sunny day and listening to the sound of the sea! It was my favorite sound, it calmed me down. It took me almost a year to be able to dive into the pool and the ocean again without drowning, although it was never the same as it was before.
After 5 months of living in silence, getting cochlear implants returned the sounds to my life. But it was always a choice: I either swam or heard, because my devices couldn’t get wet.
After 14 years, they launched a cochlear implant device with a waterproof cover and my dream finally came true. I was finally able to do both at the same time!
You can say that water and oil do not mix, but sounds and water do. And this is the best combination that has happened in my life since. Yes, in a different way, but it’s amazing to be able to hear even under the water!