Tiana Petre

Ten year old Tiana Petre from Invercargill is rediscovering the joy of water sports thanks to a Halberg Activity Fund grant.

The St Joseph’s School student is Deaf and has a Cochlear Implant, a surgically implanted electronic device that assists her hearing, but is unable to get wet - meaning Tiana couldn’t wear it in or around water.

Funding for an Aqua + Accessory kit to protect the processor of her Cochlear Implant means she can safely get back in the pool while being aware of all the sounds around her.

Tiana’s mother, Rebecca Petre, is delighted to see the positive impact the grant has had on her daughter's ability to be active and enjoy water activities.

“Tiana is really enjoying being able to hear while swimming and is especially happy to be able to listen to instructions at lessons,” she says.

“She loves that she can hear her friends in the water and is now at a lower risk of coming to any harm.”