Falk becomes the youngest finalist

Eden Falk is yet to have his bar mitzvah, but at the age of 12, the confident young Reddam student has already turned a personal challenge of hearing loss into a source of inspiration and strength for kids like him, and the broader community.

That selfless contribution saw him selected as one of three finalists for Westfield Sydney in the 2026 edition of the Westfield Local Heroes program – as the youngest finalist in its history.

Members of the public can vote for their Westfield Local Hero finalist until September 20, and the winning finalist in each of the 42 Westfield shopping centres will receive a $20,000 grant for the organisation or cause they are representing.

Falk was diagnosed with hearing loss shortly after birth and, from one month old, received support through the Shepherd Centre, which helped him to learn and speak with confidence.

Rather than simply benefiting from that support, he decided to give back, advocating for children with hearing loss in schools and at public events so that other kids could feel confident and at ease, rather than self-conscious, about wearing and using their hearing aids.