Media release – The Shepherd Centre, 16 September 2023
EMPOWERING VOICE and AMPLIFYING POSSIBILITIES in PARLIAMENT of TASMANIA
Milly Collins, 10, from Mount Nelson faced a very uncertain world when she was born with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. However, as Milly eloquently shared in the Tasmanian Parliament, through expert and wholistic intervention from The Shepherd Centre (TSC), Milly has now made outstanding progress in her hearing loss journey.
Seven inspiring journeys of Tasmanian children living with hearing loss and their families were launched yesterday in Tasmania’s Parliament House. The launch of this special Storyboard series was kindly hosted by the Minister for Disability Services, The Hon Jo Palmer MLC. Guests included the Premier of Tasmania, The Hon Jeremy Rockliff MP, Members of the House of Assembly and the Legislative Council, generous supporters including the Tasmanian Community Fund, the B4 Early Years Coalition, the My State Community Foundation, and TSC partners Hearing Australia, Tasmanian Health Service and Education.
Early intervention from TSC helped Milly’s mother, Clare, and her family to navigate a world that once seemed uncertain, providing a sense of security for Milly’s future. Through TSC’s collaborative, holistic approach, Milly transitioned from hearing aids to Cochlear Implants.
Now a well-spoken ten-year-old, Milly’s future looks bright, with Clare believing Milly will be happy and contented no matter what she does. The family’s enduring connection with The Shepherd Centre has fostered continuous growth and profound learning for Milly and her family. “Having local access, including house visits, has been a game-changer, making the process of optimising our daughter’s access to sound so much easier,” said Clare Collins.
The Shepherd Centre is a specialist not-for-profit organisation providing vital support and early intervention services for children with hearing loss. The Storyboards provide very moving stories of how TSC, alongside Tasmania’s health and education services, empowered these children’s voices and amplified their possibilities in a new world of choices.
The Storyboards were kindly supported by the B4 Early Years Coalition (B4). Suzanne Purdon Acting B4 Co Chair, said “B4 was very excited to fund The Shepherd Centre through the First 1000 Days Storyteller Grants to increase awareness and understanding of the importance of the early years, now and for the future, for healthy development and wellbeing of children through the power of stories.”
“Hearing the stories of parents who have accessed The Shepherd Centre services and early years supports, really highlights that raising children in the early years takes a village. Reaching out and connecting with services and supports is a key early years message as parents highlighted through their engagement with The Shepherd Centre. B4 knows the importance of ensuring Tasmania is a place where all children and their families can get the supports they need in the early years, because we know what happens in the early years lasts a lifetime. Getting it right in the early years means getting it right for now and for life,” Ms Purdon said.
The Shepherd Centre has been successfully operating in New South Wales for over 50 years. Tasmanian families who understood the significance of early intervention services, actively sought out TSC’s essential services for Tasmania. As a result, generous philanthropic support from the Tasmanian Community Fund (TCF) enabled TSC to establish services in Tasmania. TCF Chairperson Sally Darke said “The Tasmanian Community Fund provided seed funding to The Shepherd Centre in 2021 so it could establish a presence in the state. It is pleasing to hear of the powerful stories and life changing outcomes that our funding has already made, and will continue to make, through supporting young Tasmanians with hearing loss in their early years to access sound and speech, which is critical for their education.”
TSC’s programmes have experienced remarkable growth, with over 50 families throughout Tasmania now receiving intensive TSC services. To assist with this escalating demand, the Federal Government is providing funding towards two permanent sites in Hobart and Launceston, ensuring that even more children and their families across Tasmania receive the support they need.
The Shepherd Centre wants to ensure all Tasmanian families, regardless of their capacity, can access TSC’s services without the burden of self-funded travel. By integrating and embedding TSC services within their local community, and strengthening families with early, wrap-around care, the burden on Tasmania’s health and education systems is lessened, through more effective and comprehensive support, and highly specialised therapy for children with hearing loss.
Dr Aleisha Davis, CEO of TSC said “The Shepherd Centre is dedicated to fostering collaboration with existing services to provide wrap-around care for children with hearing loss in Tasmania. Our collaborative approach significantly improves outcomes for children, ensuring they receive necessary supports from an early age, and, ultimately, a lasting difference in the lives of children with hearing loss, such as Milly and her family.”
Featured image above: Milly, Francesca and siblings.