It looks like 2024 will be a big year for Bradley Leyshon, first he started high school and in June he will be travelling to Austria to represent Australia in the global IDEASforEars competition.
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The 12-year-old from Singleton was selected as the sole Australian winner of the global IDEASforEars competition.
He designed an environmentally friendly and recyclable version of an existing hearing gadget that helps people with implants stream TV and listen to music.
How did he become a hearing 'gadget' inventor?
Bradley was born with Unilateral hearing loss (UHL) which means his hearing is normal in one ear but there is hearing loss in the other ear.
In his case he has no hearing in his left ear but exceptional hearing in his right, a condition that was not initially diagnosed when he was a newborn.
Four years ago Bradley received a cochlear implant at the John Hunter Hospital with the surgery performed by Dr Kelvin Kong.
His mother Jessica Leyshon said the implant and the specialist help Bradley had received since that time has made a huge difference to his life and wellbeing.
"Today he is a very artistic and yes eccentric young person but one that is less anxious and ready to try new things," she said.
"He has a new personality and it has been wonderful to see that change. His family is so proud of him"
One of the biggest changes is the fact he wants to participate in sport, in his case fencing, which he does at the Singleton PCYC.
Bradley is in Year 7 at Singleton High School where he continues to receive assistance with his education, in addition to support from NextSense. NextSense is a not-for-profit and registered NDIS provider that provides services for children, adults and families of people with hearing or vision loss.
Born in Canada Bradley came to Australia with his Canadian mother and Australian father Peter before he turned one. The family settled in Singleton and now includes Michael aged 8 and Jazmin 2.
The other big event for Bradley and his mother this year will be their Australian Citizenship ceremony to take place later this month.
Then they are looking forward to the trip to Austria for the competition hosted by hearing implant provider MED-EL - Bradley has a MED-EL implant.
This competition aims to raise awareness of hearing loss while encouraging children aged 6-12 to craft inventions that enhance the lives of individuals with hearing challenges. Bradley was one of 14 young inventors chosen from 13 countries out of a pool of 253 entrants.
Bradley received a cochlear implant from NextSense to help him hear, and his submission for the competition is guided by his experience using MED-EL's existing audio link technology.
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.
Bradley will travel with his mother Jessica to Austria in June to connect with fellow creative minds and meet real inventors and engineers from MED-EL at their headquarters in Innsbruck.
Louise Nichols
From cattle to coal. Once a specialist agriculture writer today its about community, in particular, the Upper Hunter. I have lived and worked in the region for more than 30 years. Land use issues and the future direction of our region. But you cannot take ag out of the picture - our food and how we grow it is the basis of all life. Covering the Hunter and Mid North Coast rural issues is now part of my role with ACM.
From cattle to coal. Once a specialist agriculture writer today its about community, in particular, the Upper Hunter. I have lived and worked in the region for more than 30 years. Land use issues and the future direction of our region. But you cannot take ag out of the picture - our food and how we grow it is the basis of all life. Covering the Hunter and Mid North Coast rural issues is now part of my role with ACM.
