Fascinated by opposing arguments and motivated by a desire to help others, 19-year-old law student, Ana has a dream of one day serving on the judiciary.
‘I have always been very interested in social causes and knowing that, in a way through my studies, I can bring a benefit to people through justice makes me immensely happy,’ says Ana.
Certainly, living with single-sided hearing loss has not dissuaded Ana from pursuing her career aspirations. Upgrading her Cochlear™ Baha® BP100 device to the Baha 5 Sound Processor has enabled Ana to meet the demands of studying law while working part-time as a hospital receptionist.
‘Thanks to SmartSound® iQ, I practically do not modify the programs I use when I’m in lectures in college,’ says Ana. ‘The device automatically adapts to each environment.’ SmartSound iQ technology captures sounds through the dual microphones of the Baha 5 Sound Processor and automatically selects the appropriate settings.
Ana’s iPhone isn’t just for phone calls!
Ana recommends keeping your iPhone connected and nearby in case you need to discreetly adjust the volume using the Baha Smart App†. She also uses her phone to record a summary of what she has learned in a lecture or criminal matter, and then directly streams the audio recording to her sound processor while she travels home on public transport.
Because of her microtia (where the external ear is incomplete or underdeveloped), Ana is not able to use earphones and so being able to directly stream such audio recordings, plus phone calls and music, to her Baha 5 Sound Processor is particularly helpful.
‘Using the phone is infinitely easier since I don’t need to put the phone to my ear to answer calls,’ says Ana. ‘And I can connect it to the GPS, if necessary, without anyone noticing, which brings more security.’
Balancing work, study and relaxation
Working part-time as a hospital receptionist has presented other difficulties but, with her Baha 5 Sound Processor, Ana says ‘the challenges have become easier to overcome’. During the COVID-19 pandemic, with patients socially distancing and wearing masks, it has sometimes been harder for Ana to understand soft voices. But, by turning up the volume of her sound processor using the Baha Smart App on her iPhone, Ana hasn’t had to ask people to repeat themselves.
Being honest with her colleagues about her hearing loss, Ana has received their support and assistance.
‘My advice is to be transparent. Talking about my hearing loss is not the most important fact about me, but it’s something that’s part of me,’ says Ana. ‘I know that if I ever need help understanding someone or something, my co-workers will be there.’
Listening to music is ‘surreal!’
It’s not all work and study for Ana. Listening to music is a way for Ana to relax and connect with her feelings and state of mind. Her first challenge in being able to directly stream music to her sound processor was learning to pair her iPhone using Bluetooth®. But once she had learned how, Ana agrees it made listening to music ‘more practical’ and ‘much easier in everyday life.’
‘I can still remember to this day the feeling I had when I got home with my Baha 5,’ says Ana. ‘I opened Spotify and could listen to a song, something that had never happened before – it was surreal!’
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† Cochlear Baha 5 sound processors are compatible with Apple devices. The Cochlear Baha 5 Smart App is available on App Store and Google Play. For compatibility information, visit www.cochlear.com/compatibility.
Apple and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.
The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Cochlear Limited is under license.
