*SAVE THE DATE*

Hallowen (Kid-Friendly) Party
Friday, October 30th 2009
From 6 PM to 9 PM
2720 Edgewood (Clubhouse) - where the swim deaf social was held two summers ago!
Bring your little ghouls, goblins, princesses, monsters dressed to impress.
There will be lots of games and activites, prizes and GOODIES!
Hope to see you there, please RSVP to Sarah (that's me) on FB, or through my e-mail!

Cancer is nothing like deafness. . .

But deafness is not like hearing. I read this book awhile ago. Wonderful book but just had the opportunity of seeing the movie tonight. I knew it was going to be sad. I read the book. I teared up in parts. But the movie was so much more impactful in ways I couldn't begin to explain. Normally movies do not touch me this way, normally I like the books better. But tonight there was something different, I have a daughter now and although she is not ill with cancer, we face our own personal and family struggles daily because of her disability.

I remember the exact way I felt when I was told Savanah was deaf. My entire world crumbled. It was so unexpected. So sudden. I cannot even begin to imagine what a mother must feel like to learn that their child has cancer and could face death. I remember feeling so selfish when Savanah was diagnosed. I remember feeling like this was so important and nothing else in life mattered and that we had to do everything in our power to help her. I remember feeling pity, not as much for Savanah, but for myself. I was so selfish, so absorbed.

Until the first visit to Primary Children's. It changed my entire perspective. We only had a deaf daughter who had a virus, when thousands of families were dealing with children with auto-immune disorders, rare diseases and cancer. All of a sudden we were a speck on a MASSIVE wall. That day changed my entire life. I was so thankful for Savanah. I was so thankful she was healthy. Breathing. Laughing. Smiling. Walking. I was thankful I had a daughter and she did not have to cling to life, the only thing she had to do was live it.

I admire all of those families. The ones who have stayed up countless hours praying that their child will make it through the night. I admire the siblings, grandparents, friends, neighbors, teachers. . . who have sacrificed many hours to help their sick friend, sister, brother, neighbor, cousin, grandchild, niece, nephew, classmate. But I admire the child, the child who endures and never gives up. The child who embraces their life for what it is, the child who is like mine and yours in all of the other ways that just makes them a child.

I love Savanah and I know she is different from others.I know that she and our family will continue to face struggles. But I am so grateful everyday that she is healthy and that Gracen is healthy and that our family is happy. I am grateful I am here on this earth and I get the opportunity to be their mother. I am so proud of Savanah and everything she continues to teach me about life. I am so glad Savanah is deaf and she gets to be "our keeper."

Small steps in a BIG world.

Today I had the wonderful opportunity of going into Savanah's mainstreamed Kindergarten class and talk to her classmates about her cochlear implant. Another parent came along with me to represent her daughter as well.

I have to admit I was a little nervous. NERVOUS about talking to 5 year olds. I stood at the front of the class and felt so massive. It has been that long ago that I use to sit where they were.

I called Cochlear about a week ago and asked if they could send some resources for the class to help them understand better what a cochlear implant was. And they sent coloring books with a wonderful story about "Kaci the Koala" and how she got her implant. It also explains the entire process with surgery and the mapping appointments that followed afterwards. With the coloring books I typed up a little note and stapled them to each one to send home with the other students. I wrote to the other parents about cochlear implants and urged them if they had the time to sit down with their child and go over the book with them. I told them to let them know that everyone is different but we can all be friends.

The kids were darling. Very polite and receptive to everything we each had to say. We avoided big words and let them ask the questions. We let Savanah and Ellie stand up and show their implants off. We also let them pass around their stuffed animals the cochlear implant companies sent them when they recieved their implants. The kids thought they were cool. They had noticed that Savanah and Ellie didnt't quite talk right but seemed to be uneffected by this.

I was so happy to see children being respectful and open minded. They were happy to listen and happy to learn. They raised their hands so high to ask questions and also answer, and although it was a brief ten-minute presentation - I hope it is one that will stay with them their entire lives.

How does that work?!?

We were at Costco the other day when a person asked how a cochlear implant works. There are times when it is hard for me to find the words to explain this amazing device but I always seem to come back or start with that it mocks natural hearing and acts like a real "ear." So thought I would break it down for some of you through Cochlear's website. This is a great explanation.

1. Sound processor: External sound processor captures sound and converts it into digital signals.

2. Digital signals: Processor sends digital signals to internal implant.

3. Electrode array: Internal implant converts signals into electrical energy, sending it to an electrode array inside the cochlea.

4. Hearing nerve: Electrodes stimulate hearing nerve, bypassing damaged hair cells, and the brain perceives signals as sound.

I remember Kindergarten!

I am starting to really feel old. First I have a five year old little girl. Second, she is now officially in Kindergarten! I remember what it was like to be five. I remember my teacher, Mrs. Harris. I remember the smell. The tiny toilet. The recess doors. The shape stations. The carpet that we sat on to listen to a book. I remember Dallas Reynolds eating my paste. I remember coloring, cutting, counting, writing my name, sharpening pencils and being a big kid.

Will this make me a better mom? Will I be on the same page as Savanah with Kindergarten so fresh in my own mind. I hope so but then I start to think that her experience wil be so different then mine. Her entire school years will be so drastically different. Yeah, she is in a mainstreamed class right now but there are so many things that have seemed different. She knows she is one of two girls in the class who wear cochlear implants. She also has not metioned any other friends.

I hope it is just me that percieves it different. I hope she has a wonderful year and remembers everything I remember, all of the good of starting to grow up. Kindergarten. Where all the innocence still is.