Savanah has been dancing at Jazz N Place for a little over a year now and she is doing so awesome! Anyway, a few nights ago while she was in her dance class, another mom and myself were waiting for our girls to finish. We got to chatting and quickly became friends. She asked several questions regarding Savanah's hearing loss, when we found out, who we saw, when she got her implant and other things regarding her surgery and her therapy. She had a nine-month old little boy with her, she later in the conversation told me that her son had hearing loss and that the doctors suspected he had downs. I was the only person she told me that she felt comfortable enough to tell. She let me know that people had been staring a lot at him, whispering and passing judgments. She asked me if I have had to deal with any of this with Savanah. And I quickly answered yes. I told her that I really struggled with her disability for a long time. I explained that I was always worried about what people thought, I was embarrassed to put her hearing aid on. I did not want people to stare. I told her that no matter what anyone says to you, you will work through it in your own way. I learned that I am a better person because of Savanah's disability. I don't care what people think. I don't care if people stare of laugh at Savanah. Her deafness does not define her as a person, she is not Savanah THE DEAF GIRL. She is Savanah, our daughter, grand-daughter, sister, friend, niece. She is happy, healthy, funny, exciting, inventive, sweet, kind-hearted, a big helped, a wonderful dancer, generous and smart. It was definitely therapy for the both of us to talk about this struggle, something that you never imagined would happen to your child did, and I think it is definitely what you make of it. We have taught Savanah to never give up, always believe in herself, be happy and proud of her hearing loss and even more proud of her cochlear implant and everything she is able to accomplish with that. I think that mother and I walked away with a greater appreciation for one another that day. . .
