Love Island’s Tasha Ghouri admits struggles with cochlear implant
Tasha Ghouri has opened up about the difficulties she has with her cochlear implant.
The former Love Island finalist, who is still in a relationship with co-star Andrew Le Page, was incredibly open during the show about her experiences as a deaf person.
Nicknaming it her ‘superpower’, Tasha often takes the time to highlight how proud she is to be a part of the deaf community. Now, she has given her fanbase a glimpse into her struggles with her disability.
Taking to Instagram last night, the 24-year-old uploaded an image of her cochlear implant.
“A post dedicated to you,” Tasha penned at the beginning of her lengthy caption.
“I don't often talk about the struggles that come with being deaf and wearing a cochlear implant,” she continued.
Tasha went on to explain how it has affected her mental health. “I deal with social anxiety massively, a lot of that came from the ableist comments i received and still do to this day, common thoughts that run through my head is ‘What if I can't hear whoever is speaking to me,’ ‘What if I completely misunderstand,’ ‘What if my voice gets judged,’ ‘What if someone comes over and takes out my implant,’ and so many more,” she confessed.
Tasha also shared that she suffers from physical side effects, too. “I also deal with concentration fatigue – I have to lip read, focus in on conversations, by the end of the day I suffer with migraines and headaches, I'll be completely worn out and drained to the point I can't even speak,” she detailed, joking that she has to “nap a lot”.
However, the dancer went on to express her gratitude. “At the same time I’m so grateful for my cochlear implant. It’s opened so many doors and opportunities for me,” she gushed.
“Just because I have a cochlear implant doesn’t mean I’m fixed. I have my struggles behind closed doors and so does everyone,” Tasha concluded, adding that “representation is important.”
Tasha continues to promote her ‘superpower’ by being an ambassador for DeafKidz International, as well as through her upcoming podcast, Superpowers with Tasha.
