TWILLINGATE, N.L. — Laine Broderick is as adventurous as any other three-year-old.
He has found his legs and enjoys showing off his running ability any time he can.
“(Laine) is a cute and charming kid,” said his mother, Julie-Anne Broderick of Twillingate.
Laine is a child with profound hearing loss, and has hearing below that of his peers. When he is making the most of his days outside, Laine doesn’t always hear the cars and all-terrain vehicle users who frequent the area around his house. The batteries for his cochlear implants might need to be changed or there might be other noises around him that prevent him from hearing the incoming vehicles.
To make things safer for their son, the Brodericks requested the Town of Twillingate install signs letting people know there is a child with profound hearing loss in the area.
A couple of weeks ago, a trio of signs alerting motorists were installed in the area.
“It is a sense of relief for us,” said Broderick. “We’re a very on-the-go family and our kids play outdoors a lot and we live in a busy area for tourism.
“To us, it was really important to have them up.”
The Brodericks first wrote to the town council last summer requesting that signs be placed near their property in the Back Harbour area of Twillingate.
In relatively short order, the decision was made to install the three signs as requested by the family.
Those signs are is not only for vehicle traffic, but also for all-terrain vehicle traffic.
“We wanted drivers to be safer in the area,” said Twillingate Mayor Grant White. “Hopefully, it gives the family peace of mind.”
For the Brodericks, the signs are another example of the strong support they’ve received from their community.
They put their support behind Laine when he was diagnosed with profound hearing loss and when it came time to go for his cochlear implants.
“The community really rallied behind him,” said Broderick. “We felt a sense of pride.
“I’m proud of my community for standing behind me.”
Nicholas Mercer is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter covering Central Newfoundland for Saltwire Network.
