Hi, my name is Maryanne. I was born in 1963. When I was three years old I lost most of my hearing after contracting measles, and then mumps, within a few weeks of each other.

The doctors told my parents that I would need to be institutionalised but my parents refused, and sent me to Blackburn Primary and then Blackburn High School, where I gained my Year 11 Leaving Certificate.

My mother and older sister (both British born) helped me immensely by correcting my speech whenever necessary, and it was due to their influence that I am able to speak as well as I can today.

I gained employment soon after leaving school, first in a local supermarket and then later in an office. It was while I was in my first office job, at Arnotts Biscuits, that I contracted Guillane Barre Syndrome, or GBS, and I was admitted to Fairfield Hospital. Basically I was paralysed for four months and I was breathing through a respirator; not a good start for a 19 year old! This terrible disease can affect anyone of any age, and most don't recover fully. I was lucky, and have recovered enough to live a fairly normal active life.

I met my husband Lindsay in 1987 through my brother John, and we were married in 1989.

I continued to work in administration until I had my first child, Tommy, in 1992 at the age of 29. My daughter, Annalise, was born in 1995. It was while I was pregnant with my third child, Charlee in 1999, that Annalise, at the age of four, was diagnosed with Leukaemia, and she received chemotherapy for two years.

I wrote TED's book while I was recovering from an operation, in 2009, to insert a Cochlear Implant into my head! My brother, John, painted the pictures for me. 

I am passionate about breaking down the barriers surrounding people with a disability. I feel I have been given a voice; we do not need others to speak for us, we can speak for ourselves.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have in writing and publishing it.

Cheerio, Maryanne