Guest Speaker
Felicity is a regular guest speaker for clubs and community groups around Adelaide and South Australia. If you would like to book her please feel free to contact her. Clubs she has spoken to include: Probus, Kiwanis, Lions, Soroptomist, Professional & Business Women, Church & Friendship Groups.
Mob: 0427 427 330
Contact Felicity or email felicity@bleckly.com
Official Cochlear Guest Speaker Biography
Felicity lives in the Adelaide Hills in South Australia. Together with her husband Rob, a web-site developer, and son Errol, they own The Oakbank Pizzeria. She works from her home office under contract for a number of clients. In 2005 Felicity graduated from Curtin University with a BA Internet Studies.
Felicity was post lingually deafened probably caused by a severe bout of measles around age nine. Her first career as a piano teacher and professional musician was cut short when her hearing loss forced her to give up music. She completed marketing studies and worked in promotional companies eventually reaching senior positions such as General Manager. But once again her hearing loss forced her out of these roles. Deafness onset had been slow but by the time she was 35 (1986) her quality of life had become affected.
For the next 15-20 years she became socially isolated while gradually adapting to living deaf. She learned lip reading, sign language and explored the Deaf Community. However, all she really wanted to do was hear again. Hearing aids gave her no help and a Cochlear Implant was the only option. She was implanted, aged 52, in her left ear, at Flinders Medical Centre in December 2002 with processor activation in January 2003.
The implant was immediately successful. In her own words "It has given me back my life! I can listen to radio, use a telephone with ease, watch tv without subtitles, go to the movies or meetings. And, best of all, I enjoy playing the piano again. I no longer live with deafness on a day-to-day basis and I am no longer isolated."
Felicity was a Nucleus Volunteer Advocate in 2005 and in late 2006 was contracted by Cochlear marketing department to enable her to do even more work in raising awareness of the benefits of a Cochlear implant for those who need one.