Hear! Hear! Mariaan Botha celebrates 15 years of changing lives in East London
If there is one thing you will know after meeting Mariaan Botha, it is that she is passionate about what she does… and what she does, she does well!
Her success is notable, and she has gained the respect of both her patients and the medical profession, as a result of her passion and drive to improve the lives of those around her.
Growing up on a small holding in Hennops Rivier, Mariaan’s background and influences as a young child, meant that she was expected to stay at home, get married, have children and look after her family. In her young world, a career was not something a woman sought, and if a woman had to work, it would either be as a teacher or a nurse. Anything else was not believed possible.
Mariaan knew from a young age however that she wanted to have a ‘career’. Contrary to her upbringing, she felt the drive to go out into the world and make her mark … make a difference! In standard 5 (Grade 7), this drive was evident when she became Head Girl of her primary school. Her leadership skills started early and, as the saying goes, ‘cream always floats to the top’.
She completed her matric at Hoerskoel Swartkop in Centurion, and her results were such that she was able to secure a position at the University of Pretoria, studying for her BA in Social Work. In 1990 while in her 1st year of study, Mariaan’s father sadly suffered a stroke and lost his ability to speak. Her research into ways to help her father, her love of biology as well as a Career Guidance Counsellor at the university, brought into clear focus what it was that she was really passionate about and was ultimately meant to do. In year 2 Mariaan changed course from her BA Social Work, to a 4 year degree B. Logopedics, meaning ‘the study and treatment of speech defects’ and audiology.
After graduating, Mariaan started working at the HF Verwoerd Hospital (now Steve Biko Academic Hospital) in Pretoria where she interned for 5 years, working with the head of ENT Surgery. As the resident audiologist, Mariaan would measure her patients hearing ability and discuss the symptoms that that could be used to identify their hearing loss such as tinnitus, hyper sensitivity to sound and or blocked ears, with the patients. It was here where she gained valuable experience identifying the patients hearing loss and symptoms as well as providing detailed diagnostic information for the ENT surgeons in the event medial treatment was required. This was also where she gained valuable experience helping the patients manage their condition through a range of options best suited to their particular situation and lifestyle.
Mariaan explains it in layman’s terms – The Audiologist provides the tools for the ENT, kind of like a Radiologist providing X-Rays for the Orthopedic Surgeon, enabling the surgeon to assess and treat.
Many people believe that the only options available for hearing loss are surgery or a hearing aid, but much of what Mariaan does for her patients does not involve referring patients for medial procedures or giving them medical devices. Her appointments allow sufficient time for her to get to know her patients, to pick up the small nuances that point towards a definitive diagnosis or treatment. She understands the challenges and stresses hearing loss patients experience and most critically helps her patients understand their symptoms, manage their stresses and move forward with the best treatment suited to their situation and lifestyle. Not everyone needs to be referred to an ENT, not everyone needs a hearing aid … some people may just need the tools necessary to help them keep their job in the light of their hearing impairment. This is where she excels, and wins the trust and hearts of her patients.
But it is not always work first with Mariaan. It was a husband, horses and the Wild Coast that eventually drew Mariaan and her young family to East London. She started her own speech therapy business working out of her car boot in Kei-Mouth, and after 2 years of hard slog, she had made enough money to invest in some of the audiology equipment she needed, enabling her to open up her own practice in an office close to Selborne Primary. In 2006 Mariaan Botha Audiology moved to St Dominique’s Hospital where her practice is still located today.
As a member of the SAAA (South African Association of Audiologists) since 2010, she started up the Eastern Cape Branch and now focuses primarily on Audiology, her passion. In 2016 she moved into the Industrial Portfolio, helping people with hearing disabilities gain more hold in the workplace. Her signature ‘Shake your Sugar’ simple hearing test was so successful and catchy, that it was adopted country-wide and is now a national campaign run by the SAAA.
So who is Mariaan without audiology? Well, it is hard to say really. It is just not possible to separate who she is from what she does. She lives her life and her profession passionately. She loves her family, fun things … and pretty things. She finds beauty in the small things, and, not surprisingly, she finds joy through sound. She loves the curved shape of the cochlea (the inner ear) and loves the fact that she finds this shape occurring naturally all around us. Mariaan is someone who loves the small things in life… that make a big difference!
Article: Sandy Loppnow