Wearing it loud

Natalija Mladenovic with Principal Richard Buckingham. (Luis Enrique Ascui)

Bright nine-year-old Natalija Mladenovic led a school fundraiser at her primary school to celebrate Loud Shirt Day.

The event was organised through NextSense, a not-for-profit working with children who have hearing loss, in an effort to increase the schools knowledge on hearing loss.

Natalija has lived with total hearing loss since birth and has never heard natural sounds.

Yet today she attends mainstream primary school, plays competitive basketball, is learning Japanese and just completed the annual Run Melbourne event.

On Friday, October 20, Natalija celebrated Loud Shirt Day – a national day of fundraising and awareness raising for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

The day is all about wearing your wackiest shirt to celebrate, increasing community awareness about hearing loss, and raising critically important funds so children like Natalija get the support they need.

Natalija said she is proud to be an ambassador for Loud Shirt Day at her school.

“Loud Shirt Day is my favourite celebration! It’s about celebrating kids just like me and I love it,” she said.

So far the online fundraiser has raised more than $3,000.

Donate to: NextSense