Mandy Harvey had always had issues with her hearing. Whilst performing with a choir, she occasionally had trouble hearing her peers – but she managed to get through it. Mandy was always fearful her hearing would eventually worsen, and her love for music would be lost. One day her deepest fear became a reality. She couldn’t hear her teachers, everything started to fade out and become muddled, and then it was gone.
Mandy was distraught – “I lost all of my dreams. I lost everything that made sense. I could have stayed angry and fearful but I made a choice to face my fears,”
The worst she had feared had happened – but she didn’t let that stop her. Her love for music was too strong to let it go, so Mandy decided she would try and give it her best shot. She could no longer hear the music, but she could feel it. Through the vibrations, Mandy found her way. Her voice against a balloon, the ground shaking beneath her feet, or the bass resonating through her chest, she found a way.
Mandy possesses a beautiful outlook, she says; “In life, you have a lot of barriers, and you have two choices, you can allow yourself to stay stuck and do nothing, or you can find a way around and experience life.”
The passionate singer promotes the valuable message to never give up on your dreams, even when seemingly impassable obstacles stand before you. Mandy’s story is truly inspirational and has helped launch Burt Bee’s influential #LoveYourNature movement on Twitter. The campaign’s main message is to encourage each one of us to love our nature and embrace our imperfections, as that’s what makes us unique, different and beautiful.
“Now I feel the music like I’m a part of it, even though I can’t hear it – I love that about myself.” – Mandy Harvey.
