“We took my daughter for a routine hearing test. I impatiently asked my husband, ‘What’s taking them so long to start the test?’ His eyes widened. ‘Vanessa, are you kidding me? We’re half way through!’ I couldn’t hear a thing.”
‘The teacher called home. ‘Vanessa is not paying attention in class.’ I failed every hearing test. ‘What are you saying?!’ I started to think I just wasn’t smart.’: Woman with severe hearing loss receives eye-opening diagnosis after 33 years
‘I can’t hear youuuu, I’m deaf!’ Kids mocked me. I started to realize the world wasn’t so kind.’: Deaf woman advocates for change, ‘I’m just as human as you are’
“Some thought they should speak loud and slow, as if I was dumb and incapable. ‘Young lady, I want a cappuccino, you know COFFEE with FOAM?!’ Others tipped me too much and said things like, ‘I admire your strength and positivity.’”
‘I’m sending over a file. It’s a little boy with medical needs.’ I was in the middle of a Waffle House. The day, the time, the minute came when I could finally hold him.’: Family adopt boy with facial difference, hearing impairment, ‘We will continue the torch’
“As I held our son, I wept for his first mommy and daddy. Their sacrifice and dedication to love were beyond unfathomable. I kissed him on his little forehead, and quietly promised to first mommy and daddy I would continue the torch lit by their sacrifice. I would adore our son. I would honor his story. And I would teach him about sacrificial love.”
‘Some days are harder than others.’ I get eyes darting at me as I’m walking down the street. It isn’t easy.’: Man with facial differences becomes motivational speaker, ‘It was worth all the pain’
“My parents were told, ‘Only major reconstructive surgery will correct the anomalies.’ Because I spent most of my childhood in hospitals, I was playing catch up. My lack of confidence took its toll on me.”
‘Have you ever considered the label of deaf?’ I was riddled with anxiety. For the first time, I wasn’t the odd one out.’: Woman advocates for hearing loss, ‘Someday, we won’t need to fight’
“I was too ashamed of my differences to accept my hearing aids. I hid them behind my hair and tried my best to fit in. When I couldn’t, I’d ‘forget’ them at home. I didn’t want to be ‘hearing impaired.’ I wanted to be normal.”
‘You need to tie your hair up.’ I ran home in tears. My hair was my shield. Without it, I felt lost and defenseless.’: Woman with hearing loss becomes advocate, ‘I no longer want to hide’
“I deliberately chose brown hearing aids to match my hair. ‘I want them to be invisible to everyone.’ I made sure my hair was always covering my ears. This became the perfect disguise.”
‘I told myself, ‘It won’t last forever.’ I was self-conscious about my looks. It was holding me back.’: Woman with Treacher Collins Syndrome says ‘I choose to feel nothing but empowered’
“I decided, ‘I’m going to shave my head.’ I used my long hair as a shield, but once I didn’t have it anymore, I was forced to be seen. All of my differences were out in the open. I had no choice but to embrace what made me different.”
‘It’s not worth it to try and talk to you.’ People think it’s a joke. I learned early on I wasn’t going to ‘fit in.’: Singer-songwriter with hearing loss says, ‘I’ll never let it get in my way’
“I’ve been left at home because I didn’t hear my parents yell, ‘We’re leaving!’ Being a family of six, no one realized I wasn’t in the car! Life is too short to get flustered over things like that.”
‘You’re so deaf sometimes!’ My eyes started watering. I felt so alone and worthless. I decided to keep my deafness a secret.’: Woman advocates for deaf awareness, ‘I’m proud of myself’
“I was the quiet, deaf girl with no confidence. ‘Why is everyone looking at me?’ The closer we got to school, the tighter I grabbed my hair so my hearing aids wouldn’t be seen.”
‘He has a growth.’ No one came to help. We had to watch a YouTube video on how to feed our newborn.’: Mom shares son’s journey with cleft palate, ‘We do it for our babies’
“The nurse dropped the bottle on the counter and left. It gave him a massive blister on the little bit of palate he had. He lost over a pounds in 3 days. He was starving!”
