ROOT! ROOT! ROOT!

Each year AG Bell puts on a speech fair at Orem Elementary. This year Savanah and her class are to perform the song "Take me out to the ball game. . ." - it's a sports themed fair this year. So this is Savanah's video of her practicing at her Grandma's house (with a little help)! She is doing so wonderfully. I picked her up from her friend's house today and was blown away with our conversation in the truck on the way home. She told me about her entire day at school, how they were learning about weather and that it is still a little bit winter outside. She told me about rainbows and that she is going to see Tinkerbell skate in one day with Grandpa and Grandma (Disney on Ice), she told me how much she loves her friend M and that she doesn't like the big boys, only little boys like T at school. I am so proud of her. I couldn't wait for the day when we would be able to talk, like actually talk. . .her listen, me listen and we both understand each other! It is so wonderful, there is never a moment that I want her to be quiet, never a moment I just want her to stop talking. If there is one thing anyone can learn from Savanah, even if you are around her for just a moment, I think you realize how much we should all cherish our ability to hear, speak, listen, sing, listen to music, hear movies, hear nature, share our opinions, express our emotions through words, listen to life. Everyday Savanah makes me more thankful, thankful for my abilities and her disabilities. She makes me thankful that she is my daughter and I her mother and for all the things she continues to teach me each day. Thanks for talking Savanah (and most of all thanks for listening and being oh so patient with me!)

Every other week. . .

Savanah and I venture over to her school to attend Parent-Child Therapy with her teacher, Becky. Savanah looks forward to this because she gets some "mom time" all to herself. She is doing so well and each time I am so impressed with how much her vocabulary is expanding. Thanks Savanah for having fun with me while we are there and thanks Becky for teaching us so many new things.

Facts and Figures. . . Taken from HelpKidsHear.org

Did you know that…

Hearing loss is the most common congenital anomaly found in newborns…and yet not all newborns are routinely tested for it.
Approximately three per 1000 babies are born with a significant hearing loss, and many more children are born with milder forms of hearing loss.
14.9% of US children aged six to nineteen have a measurable hearing loss in one or both ears.
Any degree of hearing loss can be educationally handicapping for children. Even children with mild to moderate hearing losses can miss up to 50% of classroom discussions. Unmanaged hearing loss in children can affect their speech and language development, academic capabilities and educational development, and self-image and social/emotional development.
The average age of identification of hearing loss in infants is two and a half to three years of age - well past the critical period for speech & language development.
Studies estimate that as much as 90% of what young children learn is attributable to the reception of incidental conversations around them.
37% of children with only minimal hearing loss fail at least one grade.
All children can be evaluated for hearing loss. Even children who are only minutes old can have their hearing assessed using tests that are safe, painless and easy to administer.
Recent NIH studies have shown that children with hearing loss who are identified and receive early intervention prior to six months of age develop significantly better language ability than children identified after six months.
93 percent of deaf children are born into hearing families; only 7 percent are born into deaf families.
American Sign Language (ASL) is the third most widely used language in the United States.


- It seems like almost two years after the implant - normal life has finally begun for Savanah. There are not so many appointments, she is not having to get so angry with us because we can't understand her, she doesn't have to sign if she doesn't want to - she CAN FINALLY HEAR! But the fact is she is not a "normal" child - she is a deaf child who is functioning in a hearing world with a cochlear implant. She is a statistic, a child born with congenital CMV where the only affliction on her body was hearing loss and deafness. BUT this will never define her character, I don't feel the need to introduce my daughter as "Savanah, our deaf child." Although I do believe A LOT of her personality and sweetness have been linked to her disability. We love her so deeply, she is the most gentle spirit you have ever been around. She makes me remember when I am angry about something, to not be so angry anymore. I am so proud of the progress she has made and the steps she continues to make. I am so glad everyday that I have a deaf daughter. I am so proud to be an advocate for her and that I get the great opportunity to educate others. Thank you Savanah for being a HUGE part of our lives.

The disability is what you make of it!

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. . .

Savanah:
"Oh mitch!" (Which translated means Oh Man!
My hurt arm.
My name is Shamanah Pintince.
I am four years old.
I want bird soup. (Which translated means fruit loops.)-Toucan Sam!
Chicken. Cheese and Crackers. (A lunchable.)
I want pink milk mom.
Dad, you're silly.
I love Margo.
I love Tyson.
I love tree school.
Pink car Grandpa.
I want colors. (Crayons)
My purple room.
The scaries. (Ghosts etc.)
Trip-or-treat (No translation needed.)
My witch.
I love black puppies.
I love my mommy.
Call daddy.
No work tomorrow daddy.
I love Kaela and Maddie.
Fix it Dad.
Gracie smiling.
Daddy shoot deers.
My shooter. (Her play gun.)

There are so many other darling things she is starting to say. . . I am trying to remember some of the things I find so adorable that she says and how far she has come! Way to go our Savanah!

For a four year old. . .

Savanah has definitely had her fair share of trials as far as hospitals go. The latest: a broken arm (elbow matter of fact) that needed surgery, pins, a splint and a whole week without a hard cast. Man is she a brave girl or what? Hardly any tears, even when her parents and grandparents were crying for her. I think sometimes her being deaf and experiencing the things she has had to go through as far as her cochlear implant surgery, MRI's, ABR's etc. What a trooper! We love you Savanah and your broken arm will be all better before you know it!

Two Schools

Desmond and I have been asked why we chose to put Savanah into a private hearing pre-school twice a week along with USDB. Our reasons are as follows: I saw very little progression with speech over the last year while she was in pre-school full-time at USDB. It wasn't until her cousins came into town (who are both hearing) that I saw her speech really soar. There is very little pre-school skills that are being taught at USDB. Reading skills, pre-K skills, handwriting etc. is not very prominent in USDB. She is only with other deaf children, they are each other's models for speech which at times can be very difficult to understand each other and learn from one another. We both want to see Savanah mainstreamed into a regular Kindergarten with very little assistance from a helper. We feel she is extremely capable and very intelligent. She is learing handwriting, numbers, excellent phonics etc. at Kids Village. We have chosen to keep her at USDB for the extra speech therapy she recieves there along with the teachers and the more intimate setting.