CAH&V – Page 3 – California Hands & Voices

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.

The Neverending Marathon: A DHH Plus Mom’s Need for Community

by Kristen Stratton

Have you ever found yourself sitting in your car, in the parking lot of your child’s school, anxiously awaiting the start of yet another IEP meeting, and trying to convince yourself that it will get easier someday? There may have been some ugly crying and some adult words thrown in here and there. That was me about 6 months ago. I was about to walk into my 8th IEP meeting in 4 months and I was DONE!

Hands & Voices on the Homefront

by Johanna Wonderly

Military Families are a huge asset to our chapters. I live in California and my husband is a service member of the California National Guard and I want to share my experience as a military spouse in chapter leadership. Something about the military is we’re always on the go. Things are unpredictable and we learn to adapt and go with the flow. My husband was deployed this past May. We have three small children. They’re ages two, four, and six. All three of them were born Hard of Hearing. Having our community is vital for their success. And because of that, I am motivated to support my chapter.

Written interview with Harper author of Now Hear This; Harper Soars with her Magic Ears

by Cora Shahid, California Hands & Voices

Can you please share a little about you, your family and any hobbies you have?

I am in seventh grade. My favorite sport is basketball, I have played on a club team since third grade. I was born with hearing loss and wear a hearing aid on one side and cochlear implant on the other. I like to skateboard, snow ski, play with my puppies, go to the beach, produce YouTube videos (@ Harper G) and do wood-working.

My dad is a Colonel in the Marine Corps, so we have moved many times. My favorite place we have lived is California. My mom is a writer, author, and speaker. She was the co-author on the recent book we published, “Now Hear This: Harper Soars with her Magic Ears.”

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….

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

by Kristen Stratton

by Johanna Wonderly

by Cora Shahid, California Hands & Voices