A
family connection to hearing
loss made Home and Away
star Penny McNamee
the perfect ambassador for The
Shepherd Centre - a New South
Wales-based non-profit that provides
early intervention services to children
experiencing hearing loss.
Penny McNamee is helping to raise awareness of The Shepherd Centre.
“Deafness runs in my family and in
my husband’s family,” Penny told Link.
“The centre helps over 500 kids
make a big difference to raising the
a year who are experiencing hearing profile of the centre, and letting
back in the seventies she was one of loss but they do this in a diverse parents of children with hearing
the first students to go through The way,” Penny said. loss know about the support that is
“My cousin, Naomi, is 44 now, but
Shepherd Centre, and it had a really
huge impact on her life.
“So it’s not just about supporting
the kids themselves, but it’s about
available to them.
“The Shepherd Centre has
“She learnt to lip read and helping their siblings or parents previously had quite a lot of attention
communicate really well because understand the impact of their because of the founder, Bruce
of strategies taught to her by the hearing loss. Shepherd and his previous role as
centre. I became passionate about
“And the centre also works in
president of the Australian Medical
championing this cause because I’ve educating the wider community seen what a positive impact the early about hearing loss and what things intervention strategies can have. can be done to make life a little easier because people had a better
for those who are experiencing it. awareness of the services that we offer
“Recently, Naomi was a guest
speaker at a gala dinner for the
“The centre can help facilitate
Association,” Jim said.
“This high profile was good
and that may be able to help them.
centre in Sydney. I saw her speak cochlear implants, therapy sessions and I was really inspired by her and and counselling associated with has dropped, parents are not aware
by what the centre is doing, and that hearing loss. And they do this to that there are places for specialist
was when the role of ambassador first bridge a gap between what is a help, or doctors don’t realise they can
came up.” purely a medical need and then those refer to the centre.
Having the family connection with
additional things that are just make
“But as the profile of the centre
“We approached Penny because
the centre and learning more about going to school or being a part of we wanted to raise the profile of
them through her ambassador role, everyday life a little bit easier.” the centre. She has approached the
Penny said that one of the best things
The chief executive officer of The
ambassador role with a real passion
about The Shepherd Centre is their Shepherd Centre, Jim Hungerford, and has a lovely way of going about
holistic approach to support. said that Penny’s contribution would helping us.
linkonline.com.au
interview
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