Heavy/ABC "The Bachelor" star Daisy Kent shares her story about her hearing loss.
Season 28 of “The Bachelor” features Joey Graziadei looking for the woman of his dreams. During the January 22 premiere, viewers got to meet the women who are vying for his final rose and perhaps an engagement. One of those women was Daisy Kent, and she revealed she lives with a significant hearing loss.
Kent has opened up about her health challenges over the years and works to support and inspire others facing similar problems.
Here’s what you need to know:
Daisy Kent’s Hearing Loss Began When She Was 15
In a video posted to YouTube in March 2021, Kent explained that her first signs of significant illness came when she was about 11 years old. “I had a stroke-like seizure and then since then I’ve just gotten sick,” she explained.
For years after that initial seizure, Kent struggled with additional seizures, a misdiagnosis of epilepsy, migraines, and progressive hearing loss. She admitted, “Sometimes I’ll wake up in the hospital, I won’t even know what happened to me.”
Shortly before her March 2021 video, Kent shared that she learned she had severe hearing loss in her left ear along with moderate loss in her right ear. She had already been diagnosed with Meniere’s disease at that point.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Meniere’s disease affects the inner ear. Those affected can experience hearing loss, dizzy spells, and vertigo.
Typically, the condition impacts just one ear and occurs in people between 40 and 60 years of age. Treatments can help with the symptoms, but the condition cannot be fully cured.
“The Bachelor” contestant further explained in her video that when she was losing hearing in both of her ears, her doctor was “super shook.” It was her chiropractor who asked about testing for Lyme disease and guided her to a specialist.
Kent noted she had previously been tested for Lyme disease and was negative. However, after working with the specialist, it was determined she did have the condition.
In fact, Kent revealed, “They think I’ve had Lyme for over 10 years and that it’s been misdiagnosed and they think that’s how I got Meniere’s.”
The Mayo Clinic notes that people generally get Lyme disease after receiving a bite from a tick carrying the borrelia bacteria.
Kent talked with CBS 8 San Diego in August 2023 and mentioned that when she was just 6, doctors had removed a tick from her neck. She started struggling with hearing loss when she was 15, and at 17 she received the Meniere’s diagnosis. The Lyme disease diagnosis did not come until she was 21.
‘The Bachelor’ Star Got a Cochlear Implant in 2023
Once the Lyme disease diagnosis was official, Kent worked with doctors to begin treatment. She explained in her YouTube video that she was on antibiotics, and she also drastically changed her diet. She couldn’t eat any type of meat other than fish, and she also eliminated carbohydrates, gluten, sugar, caffeine, and alcohol.
Kent tried using hearing aids, but they were not effective for her. She decided to get a cochlear implant and had the surgical procedure done in March 2023.
Since then, Kent has written a children’s book, “Daisy Doo: All the Sounds She Knew,” and started a charity named Hear Your Heart. The charity offers financial help to families in need of hearing devices and contributes to hearing loss research funding.
Kent grew up in Becker, Minnesota, notes WJON News. However, she attended college in San Diego, California, and has remained in the area. According to her LinkedIn page, she currently works as an account executive for a company in San Diego named Jungo.
“The Bachelor” star was still fairly new to living life with a cochlear implant when she filmed the show. Spoilers suggest that Kent is one to keep an eye on throughout Graziadei’s journey to find love, and fans are eager to get going with the new season.