Kirsteen Allison is takng part in the Glasgow Fun Run on October 11 to raise funds for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

Kirsteen, who is not completely deaf but struggles to hear everyday sounds, applied for a dog in 2008 after giving birth to her daughter.

She told the Reporter: “I was on maternity leave and when my husband went back to work, I panicked that I would not hear my daughter crying. I already knew about hearing dogs as a colleague had one so I decided to apply.” “I waited over five years to receive a dog, its frustrating but I had to be assessed so that Hearing Dogs could find a dog suitable for me.

“They don’t just allocate recipients any dog, as each dog and each recipient is different. In my case I needed a dog that was confident around children, confident in an office environment and did not shed, as I have colleagues with allergies.” Kirsteen hopes to raise money so that others in need do not have to wait as long for something so beneficial. Her dog Frankie is now an essential part of her life.

“Frankie is trained to alert me to sounds that I cannot hear, such as the doorbell, alarm clock, smoke alarm and cooker timer. I no longer worry about being alone in my house because I know now that Frankie will alert me to danger.” As well as the obvious benefits, Kirsteen’s confidence in herself has grown with the help of the cocker spaniel-poodle cross.

She said: “Deafness is an invisible disability so before I got Frankie, I really struggled with people not believing I was deaf. If I did not answer them, they assumed I was being rude or stupid.

Now that I have Frankie with me, people see her uniform and realise why I’m not responding. Shop assistants are much more helpful than they were and know me by name. People talk to me much more than they ever did before because Frankie is a great ice breaker.” The mum-of-one is now motivated to raise money to ensure those who need a hearing dog can get one. Taking part in the run that leaves from Glasgow’s Bellahouston Park, Kirteen will be running with team of other hearing dog recipients all raising money for Hearing Dogs for the Deaf.

The link to Kirsteen’s JustGiving page is: www.justgiving.com/kirsteen-allison3/ and any donations are welcome.