Lizette is the tall girl in the middle . . . She's deaf. When she was 8 years old and I was her teacher someone donated a hearing aid for her. She was SO excited to get it . . .and once we put it on she turned to me and started using her voice "UG BLA SAM UM TIDA".
I signed "I don't understand, I'm sorry, you need to use your sign."
She tried again voicing something and I told her she needed to sign.
At which point her smile turned up side down and she became ENRAGED! She grabbed the hearing aid from her ear and chucked it across the room . . .(she has always been and is a bit melodramatic)
You see, she thought that it would let her be a hearing person who could talk.
Her disappointment in the hearing aid, in herself was so deep . . . she refused to wear the hearing aid at all.
I saw Lizette yesterday. She is 16 now. She's talking of coming to Ensenada once she is done with school.
I remember when I first went to Rancho Sordo Mudo as a volunteer. I felt that was the place I was going to stay - God was calling me to be a permanent point in a place where the staff otherwise has a constant high turn over rate . . .
I remember that towards the end of the year the students would ask "How about you, are you coming back next year?"
I remember distinctly joking with Lizette that I was going to stay, in fact I was going to stay so long I would see her grandchildren.
Well . . . . looks like we just might see her as an adult anyway.
4 comments:
So is she wearing the hearing aid now?
Well she might not be coming to Ensenada yet. Luke convinced her to stay another year.
~Katie
I'm curious too did she figure out the hearing aid and learn to talk. That is great that you have stayed there. I am sure that you have touched many children!!!
So what is the update on her? I love the work you do with them.
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