MEET TEAM Tahsis

Tahsis and I were PADS last placement of 2024. I, like many clients, have been offered the opportunity to write a testimony of my experience.

However, I feel this is more of a love letter to the team at PADS.

I was born hearing, and gradually began to lose it from my late teens. Fast forward twenty years later, and I was legally deaf. I rely on my hearing aids, lip reading, basic sign language, and heavily on those around me to alert me to sounds. My son was not yet a year old, when I put him to bed and went for a shower. After ten minutes I could see him stirring and getting up. I went to check on him and couldn’t settle him. I eventually gave up and went to get dressed. I placed my hearing aids in and that’s when I heard the fire alarm. It was then I decided to reach out to PADS.

Becoming late deafened is an individual experience, but for me It has felt shrouded with shame. Being so dependent on others, and constantly feeling like a failure. Burning the dinner for not hearing the oven, missing the delivery at the doorbell, my son in tears when I didn’t hear him call out. The loss of one sense caused challenges for myself and those around me daily.

Tahsis burst into my home with the energy and vigor of  an over excited hippo, with a great eagerness to work and alert.  The joke at home is that Tas and I are one, she must be able to see me at all times. She has given me the freedom to sleep at night when my husband is away, knowing my son and I are safe if the alarm goes off. She wakes me up every morning to my alarm for work, she lets me know if someone has called out to me in the office, she’s even started to prod me to sounds independently, like crossing the street if I get distracted and don’t see the white man light up.

With Tahsis, I no longer feel such a burden to those around me. I feel both myself and my son are safer and I am more independent. And it goes without saying she is the most incredibly affectionate and playful family member.

Those of you who know her well, are owed my deepest gratitude, Tamara, Linda, Ria, Jose, Jan and Karen and of course former PADS trainer Amy. 

Fern, when I read that you had sponsored her first year directly, I was overcome with gratitude, I will be forever be thankful.

But last, and very not least, Kayla Cusack. My PADS placement worker and instructor. Kayla has gone above and beyond to support both Tahsis and I. If you are fortunate enough to have worked Kayla, you know that she is the most devoted and supportive individual that anyone could hope to connect with. Without Kayla, I would have found this transition so much more daunting.

To all of the PADS team, those of you that I have met, and behind the scenes, thank you. My little world is better because of you.

With much love, 
Sarah-Kate