Celebrating Young Voices at the 2025 Power of Speech
- The Hearing House
- Oct 30
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 3
Thirteen-year-old Nate Liefting from Bombay, Auckland, travelled to Canberra this week to represent The Hearing House at the Power of Speech event in Canberra, hosted by member organisation First Voice.
Dr Claire Green, CEO of The Hearing House, was in Canberra to support Nate and represent New Zealand alongside him — a proud moment for everyone involved.
Held at the Australian Parliament, the event celebrates the communication skills of young people with cochlear implants, showing what’s possible with technology, early intervention and specialised care and support.
Nate joined six children with cochlear implants, aged 5–13, from across Australia and New Zealand to share his journey before an audience of policymakers, government officials, and health professionals, including the Deputy New Zealand High Commissioner Kenneth Ryan.
Nate’s family, including parents, Michelle and Jason, and grandmother Jill, travelled to Canberra to support him, which Michelle said, “was a very proud moment.”
In his speech, Nate spoke about how his hearing had changed over time, moving from hearing aids to bilateral cochlear implants earlier this year, which he says transformed his ability to connect and communicate.
One of Nate’s proudest moments came during Mathex, a national maths competition, where he experienced first-hand how much easier teamwork became with his new implants. He said his cochlear implants now “sound like normal, regular hearing,” and he no longer needs to ask people to repeat themselves.
Nate thanked his audiologists, speech language therapists, and the rest of the team at The Hearing House for their support — as well as his family for encouraging him every step of the way. His message to families of newly diagnosed children was simple but powerful:
“Don’t worry — with today’s technology and support, your child can thrive.”
The MC for the event was Professor Jennie Brand-Miller AO, a leading nutritional scientist and cochlear implant user, best known for her pioneering research on the glycaemic index. Professor Brand-Miller is an inspiring example of how people with cochlear implants can excel and live life to the fullest.
We’re so proud of Nate and his whānau for representing The Hearing House and New Zealand with such confidence and humility. His story is a wonderful reminder of the power of connection — and the difference that early intervention can make.
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