As my hearing loss progressed, I was compelled to accept my hearing aids. Still, insecurities lingered. While never short on friends, I subconsciously subdued self-expression, convinced that hearing loss somehow mutes personality.

My hearing loss journey started at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport 10 years ago. I was walking through the corridors of the international terminal after a business trip to the US when my boss looked at me and said, “you should really do something about that.”