A SINGLETON High student has shared his ideas for a more environmentally friendly hearing implant on the world stage.
Bradley Leyshon, 12, is deaf in his left ear and wears a MED-EL cochlear implant, which was inserted when he was eight-years-old by Newcastle ear, nose and throat surgeon Kelvin Kong.
"I remember crying [the first time] because it was so loud and I dropped to the floor hearing the sounds of a fire engine," he said.
Now in high school, the year 7 student prides himself in wearing his implant and, as part of the 2024 MED-EL Ideas for Ears competition, he redesigned the existing hearing device that helps people stream TV and listen to music.
The global medical technology company selected Bradley as the sole Australian winner of the competition.
In June he travelled to Austria with his mother, Jessica, and 14 other young inventors from across the globe to the MED-EL headquarters to present his idea.
"I wanted to make a sustainable design feature because people can feel happy and positive wearing it knowing it's better for the environment," Bradley said.
His design goes further by proposing new features, including a music app, noise cancellation, a built-in torch, and a "find-it" app for locating the device.
The audio link also provides a MED-EL shop app, enabling users to buy special recycled material covers for their implants.
On Tuesday, July 2, Bradley was honoured with a certificate in front of his peers at a school assembly with representatives from MED-EL also making an appearance.
He said his experience in Austria was fun and that he made many new friends. His mum said the experience was a true highlight.
"It was just that red carpet treatment, he was treated like royalty from the moment he stepped foot over there to the moment that we left," she said.
"And connecting with the families, we all had tears when we had to say goodbye."
Now, back on home soil, Bradley continues to receive support with his education from NDIS provider NextSense. He hopes to continue enjoying STEM subjects at school and aspires to be an actor.
"I hope this experience brings me some fame and I can keep growing my confidence to one day be an actor," he said.
The Ideas for Ears competition aims to raise awareness of hearing loss while encouraging children aged from six to 12, to craft inventions that enhance the lives of individuals with hearing challenges.
Bradley was chosen from 13 countries out of a pool of 253 entrants.
MED-EL Australia New Zealand managing director Robyn Shakes said the idea of the competition was to help reduce the stigma of hearing loss and to connect children world wide.
"We just hope that hearing loss is better known, and we're not hiding the fact they have hearing loss, that's what's so great about Bradley's design,you can have coloured covers, it's just like accessorising," she said.
