• Business
  • Life
  • Celebrity
  • Sport
  • Blog
  • Auto
  • Tech
Stories from SWNS
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
    5 Interesting facts about online casinos

    5 Interesting facts about online casinos

    Curses of Cousins by Cliff Bacchus

    Curses of Cousins by Cliff Bacchus

    Operation Bluebird by Harry Old

    Operation Bluebird by Harry Old

    Family miraculously survive huge gas explosion

    Family miraculously survive huge gas explosion

    Deputy Chief Medical Officer’s elderly mum receives her first dose of Covid vaccination

    Deputy Chief Medical Officer’s elderly mum receives her first dose of Covid vaccination

    FOOL’S GOLD: Poetry and Postcards

    FOOL’S GOLD: Poetry and Postcards

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Business
  • Life
    • Celebrity
  • Tech
    Spending More Time Online? How to Make the Most of Your Time

    Spending More Time Online? How to Make the Most of Your Time

    Why Now More Than Ever Healthcare Needs To Go Digital

    Why Now More Than Ever Healthcare Needs To Go Digital

    The Impacts of Technology in the Casino Sector

    The Impacts of Technology in the Casino Sector

    How IoT Is Shaping The Various Aspects Of The Healthcare Industry?

    How IoT Is Shaping The Various Aspects Of The Healthcare Industry?

    How Can Robots Take Their Place in Casinos?

    How Can Robots Take Their Place in Casinos?

    Three Elearning Trends That Point To The Importance Of Mobile Learning Solutions

    Three Elearning Trends That Point To The Importance Of Mobile Learning Solutions

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
  • Review

    The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild gameplay on the Nintendo Switch

    Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun Review

    macOS Sierra review: Mac users get a modest update this year

    Hands on: Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 review

    The Last Guardian Playstation 4 Game review

    Intel Core i7-7700K ‘Kaby Lake’ review

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    5 Interesting facts about online casinos

    5 Interesting facts about online casinos

    Curses of Cousins by Cliff Bacchus

    Curses of Cousins by Cliff Bacchus

    Operation Bluebird by Harry Old

    Operation Bluebird by Harry Old

    Family miraculously survive huge gas explosion

    Family miraculously survive huge gas explosion

    Deputy Chief Medical Officer’s elderly mum receives her first dose of Covid vaccination

    Deputy Chief Medical Officer’s elderly mum receives her first dose of Covid vaccination

    FOOL’S GOLD: Poetry and Postcards

    FOOL’S GOLD: Poetry and Postcards

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Business
  • Life
    • Celebrity
  • Tech
    Spending More Time Online? How to Make the Most of Your Time

    Spending More Time Online? How to Make the Most of Your Time

    Why Now More Than Ever Healthcare Needs To Go Digital

    Why Now More Than Ever Healthcare Needs To Go Digital

    The Impacts of Technology in the Casino Sector

    The Impacts of Technology in the Casino Sector

    How IoT Is Shaping The Various Aspects Of The Healthcare Industry?

    How IoT Is Shaping The Various Aspects Of The Healthcare Industry?

    How Can Robots Take Their Place in Casinos?

    How Can Robots Take Their Place in Casinos?

    Three Elearning Trends That Point To The Importance Of Mobile Learning Solutions

    Three Elearning Trends That Point To The Importance Of Mobile Learning Solutions

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
  • Review

    The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild gameplay on the Nintendo Switch

    Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun Review

    macOS Sierra review: Mac users get a modest update this year

    Hands on: Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 review

    The Last Guardian Playstation 4 Game review

    Intel Core i7-7700K ‘Kaby Lake’ review

No Result
View All Result
Stories from SWNS
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Determined young woman defies all odds by becoming talented musician – despite being profoundly DEAF

by
September 21, 2016
in News
0
Determined young woman defies all odds by becoming talented musician – despite being profoundly DEAF

Ruth MacMullen, 29

0
SHARES
2
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Ruth MacMullen, 29
Ruth MacMullen, 29

A determined young woman has defied all odds by becoming a talented clarinet player – despite being profoundly DEAF.

Ruth MacMullen, 29, was diagnosed at just 18-months-old as “just one up from total deafness”.

Her parents were told by doctors that she would not be able to hear or talk – and that learning British Sign Language was her only option.

But as Ruth grew older she was determined to not let her lack of hearing stop her from singing – and playing a range of instruments.

With the help of two Cochlear implants and her mother’s early tuition – she is currently taking singing lessons to help her progress as a talented artist.

Ruth, of York, said: “There was no history in my family so it took a while for my parents to find out.

“They realised something was wrong because I was not responding to noises. My mum could drop a stack of saucepans and I wouldn’t wake up.”

SWNS_DEAF_MUSICIAN_002

Despite the early diagnosis, Ruth’s parents BeBe and Philip MacMullen weren’t prepared to accept what they were told without question, and became determined to give their daughter “a normal life”.

With the support of a high powered hearing aid and a speech and language therapist, Ruth was able to learn to speak and even began to sing.

Her mum BeBe taught her Ruth how to focus on the rise and fall of pitch so she could sing.

Ruth said: “My parents were open to the idea of sign language but what they wanted to do was to try and use my residual hearing.

“When I was eight I said ‘I really want to learn an instrument’ and They thought it was a brilliant idea. I wanted to learn the flute at first – but it was too soft so I learned the clarinet.”

Ruth not only learned the clarinet but went on to join an orchestra, a woodwind group and to pass her Grade 6 clarinet exam.

Ruth added: “Music was always important to me – I grew up listening to Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead. Music has been part of my life.

“I can’t tell you how much music means to me. I’m moved by beautiful music – it makes me happy.”

But the real game changer came when at the age of 13, Ruth was given a cochlear implant, an electronic device that replaces the function of the damaged inner ear.

Ruth was given a cochlear implant, an electronic device that replaces the function of the damaged inner ear
Ruth was given a cochlear implant, an electronic device that replaces the function of the damaged inner ear

Unlike hearing aids, which make sounds louder, cochlear implants do the work of the inner ear to provide sound signals to the brain.

Speaking about the ‘life-changing’ implant, Ruth said: “You begin to hear noises but you don’t know what they are.

“It takes your brain years to learn what noises are and turn them into sound. There’s a big difference between a noise and a sound you understand.”

Adding: “I was going to school at the time so it was very difficult – but it was worth it.”

At the age of 23 Ruth was given a second cochlear implant which helped her to hear speech in a noisy environment.

And since then Ruth’s musical talents have flourished and she plays music frequently after taking up singing lessons.

 

Ruth said: “Singing is something I have wanted to do all my life – because when I was little I was bullied for my voice.

“I wanted to sing to the world – and when I had my cochlear implant I could hear enough to sing, it’s a miracle really.

Adding: “My mum still thinks it’s a miracle. It sounds cheesy but it’s true.”

SWNS_DEAF_MUSICIAN_008Ruth currently works as a librarian at York St John University after moving to the city to study a degree in history and English.

But she also works with charities to help people with hearing loss, including as a mentor for HearPeers, an online community where she offers advice to people who have, or have children with, profound or severe hearing loss.

Speaking about the advice she offers to parents, Ruth said, “It’s really important to look at what their children want out of life, to see if there’s a hobby they want to do and to support them with it.

“You are only limited if you allow yourself to be. It’s not just the ear, it’s the brain. The brain is a remarkable thing and it will cope if you practice and you push yourself.”

Ruth has urged people in York to speak to their GP about testing if they they or a relative may be experiencing problems with their hearing.

Speaking about what she calls the invisible stigma, Ruth said: “There’s a real stigma about people who do not hear properly.

Adding: “I think people need to speak clearly, face-to-face.”

Previous Post

“He died in pain and FEAR” – Family of 90-year-old war veteran pen open letter to his attacker after he died

Next Post

‘I thought it was freshers’ flu’ – Student who lost both legs and her fingers to meningitis is given prosthetic hand

Next Post
‘I thought it was freshers’ flu’ – Student who lost both legs and her fingers to meningitis is given prosthetic hand

'I thought it was freshers' flu' - Student who lost both legs and her fingers to meningitis is given prosthetic hand

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Stay Connected test

  • 81 Followers
  • 43k Followers
  • 103k Subscribers
  • 22.9k Followers
  • 99 Subscribers
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Women love cheesy chat up lines, a study has revealed

Top 20 cheesy chat-up lines ladies really love

March 5, 2014
The top ten most well-known bingo phrases

The top ten most well-known bingo phrases

January 21, 2014
The horses thunder towards a jump at the Grand National

Amazing racehorse names which never made it

April 23, 2014
HGH Injections Brands: Which Ones Are Best?

HGH Injections Brands: Which Ones Are Best?

January 14, 2019
Chris Fear, 33, outside the Coral betting shop which is refusing to pay out on his 485/1 winning bet

Boycott Coral! Bookmaker faces protest after refusing to pay out on a football fan’s 485/1 bet

184
Women love cheesy chat up lines, a study has revealed

Top 20 cheesy chat-up lines ladies really love

147
Women feel invisible to the opposite sex at the age of 51, researchers found

Women begin feeling invisible to men ‘when they turn 51’

138
UKIP candidate claims Jews murdered each other in the Holocaust in masterplan to create State of Israel

UKIP candidate claims Jews murdered each other in the Holocaust in masterplan to create State of Israel

105
Top 5 RTG Games to Try in Online Casinos

Top 5 RTG Games to Try in Online Casinos

February 25, 2021
How to choose a lawyer in Latvia?

How to choose a lawyer in Latvia?

February 23, 2021
3 Simple Luxuries That Can Transform Your Daily Routine

3 Simple Luxuries That Can Transform Your Daily Routine

February 22, 2021
Chelsea Headed To Champions League Return In Good Form As Upcoming Opponents Atletico Get Timely Boost

Chelsea Headed To Champions League Return In Good Form As Upcoming Opponents Atletico Get Timely Boost

February 19, 2021

Recent News

Top 5 RTG Games to Try in Online Casinos

Top 5 RTG Games to Try in Online Casinos

February 25, 2021
How to choose a lawyer in Latvia?

How to choose a lawyer in Latvia?

February 23, 2021
3 Simple Luxuries That Can Transform Your Daily Routine

3 Simple Luxuries That Can Transform Your Daily Routine

February 22, 2021
Chelsea Headed To Champions League Return In Good Form As Upcoming Opponents Atletico Get Timely Boost

Chelsea Headed To Champions League Return In Good Form As Upcoming Opponents Atletico Get Timely Boost

February 19, 2021
SWNS

SWNS all rights reserved. Copyright 2020

Follow Us

Browse by Category

  • Auto
  • Blog
  • Business
  • Celebrity
  • Gaming
  • Life
  • Lifestyle
  • News
  • Pictures
  • Property
  • Review
  • Sport
  • SWNS
  • Tech
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized

Recent News

Top 5 RTG Games to Try in Online Casinos

Top 5 RTG Games to Try in Online Casinos

February 25, 2021
How to choose a lawyer in Latvia?

How to choose a lawyer in Latvia?

February 23, 2021
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

Real Fix is a trading style of South West News Service Limited.
Copyright © 2020 South West News Service Limited.

No Result
View All Result
  • Business
  • Life
  • Celebrity
  • Sport
  • Blog
  • Auto
  • Tech

Real Fix is a trading style of South West News Service Limited.
Copyright © 2020 South West News Service Limited.