How Gigi Caruso Turned Her Hearing Loss Into Advocacy

Here is How Gigi Caruso Turned Her Hearing Loss Into Advocacy

This article presents How Gigi Caruso Turned Her Hearing Loss Into Advocacy

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About Caruso Daughter Hearing Loss

While Gigi Caruso is widely recognized for her acclaimed swimwear and lifestyle brand, Gigi C, what often remains less known is her lifelong journey dealing with hearing impairment, which ultimately propelled her into the world of entrepreneurship. Caruso was born with a degree of sensorineural hearing loss ranging from moderate to moderately severe and was fitted with her first pair of hearing aids at the age of three. It wasn’t until she turned 16 that she could fully appreciate sounds like crashing waves, falling rain, or chirping birds, thanks to a set of hearing aids called Lyrics.

Growing up, the hearing loss community wasn’t particularly socially connected, and Caruso lacked peers who shared her hearing challenges. Nonetheless, her parents and siblings served as a tremendous support network throughout her journey.”

Caruso Daughter Hearing Loss

“They consistently encouraged me to embrace my journey with hearing loss and instilled in me the confidence to be an advocate,” she expressed. Statistics show that one in eight Americans aged 12 or older grapples with some form of hearing loss, but many of them struggle to find adequate support, particularly in work and education settings. Caruso discovered that her hearing impairment was a disability that most people did not know how to accommodate. She remarked, “One of the most significant challenges I faced growing up with hearing loss was related to the hearing aids I used. They created the feeling of having an invisible disability, as no one could tell I had hearing loss unless I disclosed it or wore my hair up, revealing my hearing aids when I used to have over-the-ear ones. Consequently, people often assumed that I could hear them normally and respond as such. This made it challenging for my teachers to grasp my disability because it wasn’t readily apparent, and sometimes people would forget. During one of the most trying periods in high school, when my teachers failed to understand my needs for success, they resisted the accommodations I requested. Simply because my disability wasn’t visible, they couldn’t expect me to sit in a classroom like any other student and hear everything as easily as everyone else,” she shared.”

Due to her hearing loss, Caruso struggled to find interest in activities that didn’t engage her other senses beyond hearing, making the ocean her sanctuary. Spending time at the beach and in the water during her youth became a cherished pastime for Caruso, eventually fueling her passion for swimwear. She reflected, “Initially, I didn’t see these two aspects as connected, but as I’ve thought and talked about it more, I’ve realized that my love for water is rooted in my hearing loss, and that’s precisely what led me to start GIGI C. Being a young founder was already challenging, but having hearing loss on top of it made it even tougher because I was concerned about how people in the industry would perceive me. Speaking up as a young CEO was hard, but adding hearing loss as a factor presented its own set of challenges,” she explained. “Nonetheless, I’ve navigated through it and learned to advocate for myself, despite any insecurities. In a full-circle moment, my hearing loss ultimately guided me to where I am today as the CEO and Founder of a swimwear company.”

Hearing loss advocacy encompasses efforts like advocating for equal employment opportunities, ensuring closed captioning on television and media platforms, and making hearing aids available over the counter. Much of this work happens behind the scenes, leaving the younger generation in the hearing loss community feeling disconnected. Caruso experienced a lack of support while growing up with hearing loss, but her perspective changed when she shared her story publicly and received an unexpectedly warm response. This inspired her to become an active advocate. She recounted, “My confidence in advocating for my hearing loss really grew when I posted a video on my Instagram, where I discussed my journey and getting my Lyrics. I received an overwhelming amount of love and support through comments and direct messages, not just from my followers but also from others in the hearing loss community whom I had never connected with before. This was the first time I truly felt a sense of community and knew I wasn’t alone in this journey. It motivated me to become a source of support for others in the community.” She realized that she could make a significant impact, especially for children and young adults, as these are formative years for self-discovery.

Caruso maintains an open forum group where her followers who also face hearing loss engage in regular conversations to provide support and education. Recently, she organized an event on World Hearing Day at The Grove for hard-of-hearing children. Notably, her family made a donation to establish the USC Caruso Department of Otolaryngology, specializing in children with hearing difficulties. She stated, “I’m currently working on organizing more community events. Additionally, I make an effort to share my story whenever I can, reaching out to more people and letting them know that hearing loss should not be a hindrance. It can be tough at times, but turn it into a source of strength and motivation,” Caruso emphasized. “I’ve transformed my hearing loss into a positive force, taking on challenges and embracing them, which has made me a better person and entrepreneur. In many ways, my hearing loss gave me a unique gift. Without realizing it, the challenges I faced taught me resilience and the ability to adapt to new and difficult circumstances.”

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