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Zaye, 8, donates hearing aid decorations to empower others

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Elena MorabitoKalgoorlie Miner
Zaye Smith has been donating his hearing aid decorations — known as tube riders — to children across the world.
Camera IconZaye Smith has been donating his hearing aid decorations — known as tube riders — to children across the world. Credit: Unknown/Supplied

Hearing aid decorations — known as tube riders — have helped eight-year-old Zaye Smith feel less overwhelmed about having a hearing aid, and he is now donating them to empower other hard-of-hearing children across the world.

Kalgoorlie-Boulder resident Kiera-Lee Smith said her son Zaye was born with mild sensorineural hearing loss in his right ear, and mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss in his left ear.

Ms Smith told the Kalgoorlie Miner that when he first started attending school, she had a really hard time stopping Zaye from taking out his hearing aids.

“The questions about the devices were constant and overwhelming for him so my family and I took to google to come up with ideas to jazz up the hearing aids,” Ms Smith said.

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After doing some research, she stumbled across a site which sold decorations for hearing aid and cochlear implants, and Zaye was immediately seduced by the idea of starting a collection.

Tube riders are used to cover hearing aids.
Camera IconTube riders are used to cover hearing aids. Credit: Unknown/Supplied

“He came to school with his new bling and the attention shifted from his hearing loss to which cool characters he had on his ears today. And from then on he couldn’t wait to pick out who he was going to wear today and show them off to his classmates and even to adults and kids stopping him to ask about them in public,” Ms Smith said.

She explained her son received a major confidence boost by wearing the decorations, and had became more confident talking about his hearing loss, why he wears his hearing aid and how it helps him navigate through life.

Ms Smith said Zaye had reached a point where he felt he no longer needed to wear the tube riders, and was happy to donate them to other children with hearing aids so they could “gain the confidence, joy and even conversation he got to experience from them”.

Last year, Zaye’s parents shared on social media that they would be donating the tube riders, and positive feedback from the community helped identify children who would benefit from the decorations, with some reaching children on the other side of the world.

“He managed to donate roughly 15 tube riders both local and across the world, most parents sending us back a photo of their kids wearing them and their huge smiles which was such an amazing experience for Zaye seeing what a small act of kindness can do to other people’s lives,” Ms Smith said.

She explained Zaye still had some tube riders left over and again took to social media to share the news, with 19 tube riders sent out to families across WA in recent weeks.

“It’s been an incredible experience for Zaye, and our family are so proud of him and his kindness,” Ms Smith said.

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