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Transcript - CHC Aircrewman overcomes injury
Rescue aircrewman Danny Clarke has overcome his hearing loss thanks to advanced surgery and help from friends at CHC's Pearce Base. L to R; Simon Weyling, Doug Martin, Danny Clarke, Phil Peel, Brodie Prideaux
As a rescue aircrewman for CHC in Australia, Danny Clarke has witnessed a lot of perseverance in the face of injury and suffering. Among his many missions was his rescue of a sailor who had not only been burned while welding, but had fallen overboard from a tanker off the Western Australia coast.
Now Danny, 25, is facing a double set-back of his own, but true to his character, he has not leg injury weaken his resolve.
Danny suffered a childhood injury that left him completely deaf in his right ear. Despite the hearing loss, Danny relentlessly pursued his dream of becoming a helicopter winchman, which he realised 8 April 2003, when he became a winchman/rescue swimmer for CHC Australia, after working as storeman since 2001.
Then in October of 2005, Danny was walking home after a night out with friends when a stranger approached him and started acting aggressively. Unprovoked the stranger attacked Danny viciously. Despite Danny's attempts to pacify him, the stranger struck him heavily across the face. Danny fell to the ground and fractured the base of his skull on the hard walkway. The head injuries led to the loss of hearing in his left ear, leaving Danny completely deaf.
Despite the terrible injury, Danny did not give up on his dream career.
On February 9, he underwent one of the first simultaneous bilateral cochlear implant procedures in Australia. It's an expensive procedure, but one of the cochlear implants was sponsored by the Lions Ear and Hearing Institute in Perth, where the surgery was performed, and CHC employees are helping Danny raise the remaining funds. CHC employees at Pearce Base raised $4800 for Danny and other assistance is still coming in.
A musician as well as a winchman, Danny's total deafness would have prevented him from carrying on with the life he loved. The complicated three-and-a-half-hour bilateral cochlear surgery may allow him to regain about 80% of his hearing in both ears. The ability to listen to his loved ones and the other voices of the world are what he looked forward to most before his surgery, in addition to hearing music again. Danny hopes to be able to return to work as an Aircrewman, but it is not known whether health and safety regulations will permit it.
Danny's ears were turned on in late February, after the successful completion of the surgery. He is now capable of voice recognition and docotors are thrilled with initial hearing results. There are still adjustments to be made, and a lot of work ahead for Danny, but he is thrilled by every new sound he relearns. He is "almost overwhelmed" by hearing his phone ring again after three months of silence.
Donations can be made by contacting Maureen Hayward, the payroll administrator in the Adelaide Head Office at mhayward@chcaustralia.com
Published in CHC Helicopter Employee Magazine - January 2007