CAH&V – Page 3 – California Hands & Voices

Michelle’s Story

I self-identify as….

Hard of hearing

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I’m a new mom, my kids are 2.5 and 1 years old. They are hilarious to be around. They keep me pretty busy right now, but I’ve created a new Instagram account, @Mama.Hu.Hears where I share personal experiences and tips/tricks I’ve learned a long the way for how I live my life with hearing loss. I’ve been cooking a lot more at home, experimenting with recipes and this past summer I took up gardening.

Please tell us about your earliest years of life related to your hearing, identification etc.

I was 3 or 4 years old. My preschool teacher told my mom that I would go off on my own during story time. She recommended me to get a hearing test. I had mild hearing loss at that point but it worsened every few years due to Pendred/EVAS. My pediatric audiologist was Dr. Carol Flexer – she helped guide my mama to do what was best for our family. My family chose to continue spoken language since this is what we were already doing.

Lynette’s Story

I self-identify as….

Deaf

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Reading, playing games, exercising, wine tastings

Please tell us about your earliest years of life related to your hearing, identification etc.

When I was 4 years old, I woke up one morning completely Deaf. My family didn’t notice that morning until my school called them and told them something was wrong. I remember watching TV with my brothers after school and getting upset with them for taking the volume out of the TV. Just prior to this day, I had a high fever and I had fallen off a couch and hit my head. I was taken to the hospital where many tests were performed- for mental retardation. After several tests, the medical team realized I was Deaf (severe-profound loss). At discharge, they gave me a spinal tap to be safe. Years later, I had a cochlear implant and it was discovered that my cochlea was not fully formed and the doctor suspected i may actually have been born hard-of- hearing.

Lan’s Story

I self-identify as….

profoundly Deaf

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I love playing tennis ever since I was 7 years old. I am on Women’s Tennis League teams in Los Angeles since 2013. I also enjoy reading, cooking, yoga, and being in nature.

Please tell us about your earliest years of life related to your hearing, identification etc.

My mother gave birth to me 3 months early and I was a premature baby. I do believe it’s the cause of my deafness. My mother discovered my deafness when I was at least 6 months old baby by calling my name loudly and made different noises to get my attention. I showed no response.

Kei-Che’s Story

I self-identify as….

Deaf (with a big D)

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Love “signing” to songs, going for walks, visiting beaches, writing poems

Please tell us about your earliest years of life related to your hearing, identification etc.

I was diagnosed with hearing loss at the age of 7. I identified as Hard of Hearing. I kept falling asleep in class (listening fatigue). My school’s team decided to test my hearing. I have a bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. I’m bimodal with a hearing aid and hybrid cochlear implant now. There’s no history of hearing loss in my family and I wasn’t sick as a child. I am the only Deaf individual in my family.

Josh’s Story

I self-identify as….

Hard-of-hearing

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I like to workout, hike, go to the beach, hang out with my friends, and be with my family.

Please tell us about your earliest years of life related to your hearing, identification etc.

When I was 2 years old, my mom starting noticing that my speech and language wasn’t developing at the typical rate. She had me evaluated, and found out that I was hard-of-hearing. I was born with an ear deformity called Microtia that not only caused outer ear deformities but also caused inner ear deformities, causing me to be hard-of-hearing.

Janna’s Story

I self-identify as….

Hard of Hearing

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Running, biking, dancing, community theater

Please tell us about your earliest years of life related to your hearing, identification etc.

I have a moderate to profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. It’s genetic in our family with a 50/50 chance of being passed on. If you get the gene, then you have a 50/50 chance of passing it on. If you don’t get the gene, then you never pass it down. My parents suspected from birth that I would or may have a hearing loss, however I responded well right away, and showed signs of hearing loss later when I was around 2.

Crosby’s Story

I self-identify as….

Hard of Hearing (if CI’s are on), deaf (if CI’s are off)

Please share a little about your education placement & extracurricular activities as a youth.

I was mainstreamed (no need to move), stayed consistent throughout K-12. I received FMs (microphones and speakers) and CART. I was involved with some extracurriculars such as Key Club.

Please tell us about your relationships with DHH peers as a youth and how they impacted your life.

I have several close friends DHH friends from CCHAT, a preschool we went to together. When we went our separate paths, we found ways to meet and otherwise maintain our friendships – one being through the annual attendance of DHH Family Camp, one of my fondest memories. We are friends even now, over 20 years later. Both CCHAT and DHH Family Camp were vital to maintaining my connections to my DHH peers.

Amanda’s Story

I self-identify as….

Deaf

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

One of my favorite things to do is to explore new places and experience different cultures. I had some great opportunities to travel in the past several years and it has really opened my eyes to how different the human experience can be in other places. Last year, I went to Russia, Cuba, Sierra Leone and lots of Scandinavian places. That being said, if I’m not hiking, you might find me pretending to be a travel agent. It definitely requires a bit of creativity to maintain social distancing with the coronavirus pandemic and to my figure it out with my call schedule, but we make it work with small local excursions!

Please tell us about your earliest years of life related to your hearing, identification etc.

I don’t have a memory of the experience of hearing loss, but from what I’ve been told, I was an “obstinate” child and didn’t follow directions in pre-school. This prompted a hearing evaluation when I was three years old that revealed a progressive sensorineural hearing loss of unknown etiology. I have a profound sensorineural hearing loss, which requires the use of behind-the-ear hearing aids.

Delanie’s Story

I self-identify as….

Hard of hearing, deaf (not Deaf), disabled.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Reading and writing, music (listening and playing), board games.

Please tell us about your earliest years of life related to your hearing, identification etc.

I was tested very young, and doctors initially failed to recognize that I was deaf. They told my parents I was “slow.” Eventually, my nana noticed that I specifically didn’t respond when I was facing away from a person, and so my parents had me tested again when I was 2. They were told that I was moderate-severely deaf (sensorineural), and I got my first set of hearing aids. It is most likely from Enlarged Vestibular Aqueducts (EVA). I got my cochlear implant at 8. My parents spoke with many people, and fortunately, they were good friends with a teacher of the deaf. After they chose to raise me orally, I attended CCHAT preschool for spoken language for deaf children.

Infusing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

by Rosabel Agbayani

This past September 30, 2020 marked a significant milestone for my family. The day marks 10 years that we became a Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DHH) Family.
So many changes have happened in our lives over the past decade; my son is a happy, healthy, funny, and productive teenager. Our family has grown to love this journey and my husband and I have found so much joy in raising our DHH child. Professionally and Personally, this journey opened up a world of opportunities to learn more about raising a deaf child, being a part of a community, and inspiring leadership that I never knew I was capable of.

Author: CAH&V (page 3)

I self-identify as….

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Please tell us about your earliest years of life related to your hearing, identification etc.

I self-identify as….

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Please tell us about your earliest years of life related to your hearing, identification etc.

I self-identify as….

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Please tell us about your earliest years of life related to your hearing, identification etc.

I self-identify as….

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Please tell us about your earliest years of life related to your hearing, identification etc.

I self-identify as….

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Please tell us about your earliest years of life related to your hearing, identification etc.

I self-identify as….

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Please tell us about your earliest years of life related to your hearing, identification etc.

I self-identify as….

Please share a little about your education placement & extracurricular activities as a youth.

Please tell us about your relationships with DHH peers as a youth and how they impacted your life.

I self-identify as….

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Please tell us about your earliest years of life related to your hearing, identification etc.

I self-identify as….

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Please tell us about your earliest years of life related to your hearing, identification etc.

by Rosabel Agbayani