A little girl (5) is new face of hearing charity
By Mary Dennehy
A five-year-old girl from Kilnamanagh is the face of a new campaign for the National Charity for Deafness and Hearing Loss, DeafHear – which has relaunched as Chime.
Lexie Noone, who became profoundly deaf as a result of an infection she developed as a new-born, was recently chosen to be the face of the charity’s new campaign for family services.
Lexie with her brother Mason and comedian Deirdre O'Kane
Linked in with Chime’s resource centre in Tallaght, Lexie – who has had a bi-lateral cochlear implant – is now appearing on posters in resource centres nationwide and features on the Chime website, as she helps promote the charity’s message of enjoying a ‘life unlimited’.
Lexie was back out in support of the charity, when she helped relaunch DeafHear as Chime.
Established in 1964, Chime provides an extensive range of specialist services to more than 32,500 deaf and hard of hearing people, both adults and children and their families, nationwide.
The charity also advocates and campaigns for improved health and education services in Ireland.
The relaunch took place this week at Chime’s head office in Dublin, during which details of Ireland’s first information phone line dedicated to hearing loss were announced.
According to Chime, one in seven people in Ireland will experience hearing loss during their lifetime, with statistics showing that it takes Irish people with hearing loss up to 10 years to take action.
The national charity also said that inaction on hearing loss leads to gradual social isolation, frustration, loss of confidence and cognitive decline, with untreated hearing loss increasing the rate of dementia by two to five times.
Speaking at the relaunch event, Mark Byrne, CEO, Chime said: “We are delighted to officially launch our new brand identity as Chime which reflects the changing needs of our wide client base as well as the arrival of new technologies that are assisting those that are deaf or dealing with hearing loss.
“Our ethos is ‘Life Unlimited’ and we are dedicated to working towards a society where deafness or hearing loss does not hold back potential, personal choice or quality of life.”
People in need of assistance, information or advice on deafness or hearing loss can contact Ireland’s first information phone line dedicated to hearing loss on 1800 256 257 or email rejoin [at] chime [dot] ie
For further details visit www.chime.ie
