Those remarkable sounds would have been impossible without the Hear and Say Centre, which has been teaching hearing-impaired children to speak since it opened in Nambour in 2004.

Mandy Kerr’s daughter Phoebe, who turns three today, said the therapy had sparked an amazing transformation.

“We started weekly therapy last May and before that she probably only had about 50 words that she could say,” the Buderim mum said.

“But now her vocabulary is uncountable and she’s speaking in three word phrases, which is great.
“It’s a wonderful program and they really focus on getting hearing-impaired children to speak because we all operate in a speaking world.

“It’s based on teaching the parent to be the teacher and we follow through with that therapy every day at home.

“It’s such a positive experience to hear your child speak, it’s like music to my ears.”

The fundraiser aims to earn $120,000 that will be put straight back into the Coast facility.

And one of the local products of the Centre’s good work is 12-year-old Casey Raymond.

He told the crowd gathered for yesterday’s launch that there were some benefits to being hearing-impaired.

“I get to turn off my hearing aids when Mum is nagging me.”

Butterfly brooches and packs of butterfly-attracting plant seeds will be sold in Suncorp bank branches and KFC outlets until April 27.

By Rebecca Marshall
http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/localnews/storydisplay.cfm?storyid=3678009