I CAN HEAR YOU

Sophomore Alexa Solorio Diego uphill battle while living with deafness

by Kayla Degnan Photographer

Hearing the crowd cheering and yelling for the football game against Pioneer Valley, sophomore Alexa Solorio Diego listens to a cheer get called, gets lifted into the air by her stunt group, and smiles down at the crowd, scintillating. Out of the 50 plus cheers that can be chosen from, she hears them all following along with every motion, her hearing not impacting her ability to take in the words. At her first highschool football game, the long-awaited halftime performance arrives, She hears the remix begin playing and it’s go time. After a week of daily practices, she is prepared to perform this routine full out. Then, the moment she has been waiting for, stunting in her first halftime show. Diego hears her counts from her group, one, three, five, seven. She feels her body dip for a moment, and then she is up, smiling, waving, and listening to the continuous counts. Diego’s heart pumps loudly in her ears, she is ready for any game or stunt given to her group listening for her next cheer. The first of many challenges Diego has faced thus far with her accomplishment of making the jv cheer squad while suffering with impaired hearing in both of her ears, hearing everything and anything that is said around her.

Diego is in the demographic of 40% of young adults who experienced hearing loss during their childhood, according to a survey by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. She is a part of three out of every 1,000 children who were born with hard of hearing loss in one or both ears, taken from the National Institute of Deafness and other Communication Disorders.

Diego was given her diagnosis when she was only minutes old. Born with an abnormality of the ear ,she relies on a cochlear implant to help process hearing in her right ear instead of a hearing aid due to the abnormality of her ear. Her journey with the implant started at age eleven when she underwent surgery to be able to hear more clearly.

“[hearing aids] are actually the same thing, it’s just that one doesn’t connect to your ear, it is just implanted in your head.” Diego said about the difference between both hearing products.

“Cochlear implants have a lifespan just as long as humans do, and they’re supposed to last a lifetime with the only replacement being failure”, Texas Children hospital stated. Diego plans to undergo another surgery this coming December, for another implant to be put in due to her left ear having some hearing trouble from the malformation. Making a total of two cochlear implants that Diego has had in a span of four years is progressive for her age.

“[Although] the surgery is a little scary having been through it before I feel more prepared,” Diego said, nervous and excited to be able to hear even better than she can already,

Nonetheless, these limitations have not defined Diego. She is both a flyer on the JV cheer team, and is described by her stunt group as “a natural”.

Diego’s team has been there throughout the season, they have supported her (both emotionally and physically), helped her learn skills, and tossed her into the air under the bright lights of War Memorial Stadium and the approaching stunt season.

“I feel once we started with homecoming, we started having a really good group and bonding,” sophomore Jamie Barnett, a side base on the jv team, said. Barnett has been Diego’s base since she joined the team and together their group has hit some more elite skills such as baskets and liberties. From attending practices after school to being part of the pioneer parade, and even performing in the varsity homecoming halftime performance, she exemplifies commitment to her team through her constant participation.

Each practice Diego is accompanied by her American Sign Language interpreter, Beth Dowell, starting at 7:30 am, five days a week. Dowell has worked with Diego for about five years, after filling in as a substitute translator. Together they have formed a bond that is more powerful than any discrimination that has been experienced. Pushing through practice Dowell is there for Diego during her high school years, and there to support her as well when she is trying new skills.

Growing up Diego was homeschooled up until the beginning of her kindergarten year where she transferred to the public school education system. For the rest of her education she has continued to be in the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District (PRJUSD). In those years she experienced forms of discrimination from fellow classmates as well as staff who did not know her exact condition or malformality.

“For me who works with the deaf community on a regular basis, it’s just, it’s disgusting and it’s really disheartening. But luckily I’ve, I’ve never seen it.” Dowell, ASL translator, said. Working with the deaf community for over ten years she has developed an understanding that discrimination is present in the current school district but has not been seen any on the current team towards Diego.

“The people here are very kind and very understanding so that helps a lot,” Dowell said, thankful that Diego’s team is so accepting.Working with the deaf community for over ten years she has developed an understanding that discrimination is present in the current school district.

“They [our team] don’t treat her differently at all,” Barnett said, excited for more time to work with Diego, enjoying her company, and helping her fly.

As the football season comes to an end Diego is doleful but looking towards the up-and-coming basketball season where she will cheer on the bearcats against various rivals.

“I have gained more confidence because I never knew that we would be talking more, because I’m really shy,” Diego said about how she has grown through cheerleading. Her consistently joyous presence brings smiles to both her and others’ faces. Diego has not stopped smiling since she got on the team.

“It’s actually really fun and scary at the same time,” she said. In the time between her seasons, she hopes for a successful surgery and a continuation of growing her skills to try out for the 2022-23 football season.

Diego feels that she has been accepted onto the cheer team with open arms and hearts from all its members. To anyone who feels a sense of intolerance and is scared to tryout for any team Diego’s advice is, “they are actually really sweet and caring; They’ll be there for you if you need them.”

In this together: Diego and Dowell hanging out together, bonding even more than when at school. Having been together for years they enjoy each other.