HEARING UR WAY The BIG Book of TM
10 Years of Inspiring Stories of Kids and Teens with Hearing Loss
Melanie Patico Grossman Creator of Hearing Our Way Magazine
Preface
From the desk of the author, the story behind Hearing Our Way.
As you read, look for these symbols for listening, language, and self-advocacy strategies on every page!
Listening strategies and hearing technology
Speech, language, and communication
Self-advocacy skill building
egan - my very first in 2014 I am proud to say that a decade remains the same. We have featured hundreds of kids and they have all echoed that very same sentiment:
Though I don’t have hearing loss myself, it has been part of my life from a very young age. My mom’s sister had hearing aids (now cochlear implants) all my life, but to me, she was always just Aunt Paula! And when her daughter, Julie, was diagnosed with hearing loss at age two, she was still just cousin Julie to me! Hearing loss did not define them or our relationships.
When I was around 9-years-old, Julie’s family moved from our hometown of Long Island, New York, all the way to St. Louis, Missouri, so she could attend a special school for the deaf. Our families had never been apart before, and I was feeling scared, angry, and confused, but I put on a brave face to be supportive as Julie’s older cousin.
Within months, I was able to see how much the school was helping Julie, as she made leaps and bounds learning to listen and speak. I quickly realized Julie wasn’t being taken away from me, but in fact, she was being given back to me! With her new communication skills, we would be able to have a strong relationship for the rest of our lives. I no longer felt upset or resentful Julie was mainstreamed into our home school district, and along with my sister Dani, we were inseparable.
Years went by, until one day in high school, I was caught off guard when a creative writing class assignment prompted a poem to flow out of me, all about when Julie was diagnosed with hearing loss and moved away. For the first time, I was able to release feelings I hadn’t even known I was holding in. It was then I realized that
This pivotal moment of inspiration would be the foundation for magazine, but it would be nearly ten years later that I completed my undergraduate and graduate studies in deaf education and created .
And now, here we are, another ten years after that! I am proud to say that has become the safe space and creative outlet for our readers that I once needed as a kid. I am so grateful to all of the children who have been brave enough to share their stories with us over the years. With our milestone ten-year anniversary approaching, I wanted to find a way to make sure their stories had a permanent home, so they would not be lost as we moved forward into the next decade of . I had an idea:
Something that families, teachers, and other professionals could cherish for years to come; a way for readers who are new to to still have access to past content? And here it is in your hands: I hope it becomes a treasured part of your libraries, and I hope you love it as much as I do!
I really love hearing my son say how the people in the magazine are just like him. Hearing Our Way really makes him light up!
—Elizabeth, Parent of a child with hearing loss
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VERCOMING BSTACLES
Inspiring stories of kids and teens with hearing loss
H W does Julie hear?
WITH HER IPOD PLUGGED IN, A SIGNATURE SMILE ON HER FACE, AND TWO COCHLEAR IMPLANTS!
Julie seems like any other high school senior. She’s stressing over college applications, wishing it was still summer, and planning her next drive with her new license in hand. Julie takes a break from it all to sit down with H W and chat about school, life, and hearing!
All About Me
Hi, I’m Julie. I’m 17-years-old and a senior in high school. I love to listen to music and go to concerts. I live on Long Island, a few minutes away from New York City.
My Hearing Loss Story
Hearing loss is a part of who I am, but it doesn’t define me.
I was diagnosed with hearing loss and got my hearing aids when I was 2-years-old. My family learned about a special school in St. Louis, Missouri, that could teach me to listen and speak. We moved there, and I’ve been talking ever since! My hearing loss was progressive, and I was profoundly deaf by the age of 6. That’s when I received my first cochlear implant and headed back to my mainstream school in New York. I got my second cochlear implant at the age of 11—I love being bilateral!
Overcoming Obstacles
I’ve been lucky to have mostly good experiences with my hearing loss, but there have been a few bumps along the way. Mostly it’s little things, like noisy situations when I can’t hear or understand what’s going on, and I need to advocate for myself. One difficult experience I had was in elementary school, when I couldn’t go on the plastic playground slides because of static with my cochlear implants. I was lucky that my parents, IEP team, and I were able to get a metal slide on the playground instead.
Chat Pack
Another tricky situation was in the middle school cafeteria, which was so noisy that I couldn’t hear my friends. I tried to bring my FM system to lunch, but it was still just too loud. I was able to go to a smaller room to eat lunch with a few friends. We named it ‘Quiet Lunch,’ but we never let it get too quiet! I’m glad I spoke up and didn’t spend the whole year in a place I couldn’t hear.
That’s Just The Way I Hear
When people ask about my cochlear implants, I just tell them that I’m hearing impaired, I’m deaf, or I have hearing loss, and that I wear two
cochlear implants to help me hear. I’m happy to explain it to them and raise awareness. Hearing loss is a part of who I am, but it doesn’t define me. It’s one small piece of me. It’s not something that I brag about, and it’s not something I’m ashamed of. It’s something that I’m open about.
Fun with Friends
I have friends with hearing loss all over Long Island and even around the country. I’ve been best friends with Mallory, who has bilateral cochlear implants like me, ever since we attended school together in St. Louis. It’s important to have someone to talk to who knows what I’m going through. I also attend a support group for teens with hearing loss. We bond over
Have You Heard?
musical activities, and I’ve made really good friends through the group.
Hearing Loss Gear
My favorite accessory is the personal audio cable that goes directly from my iPod to my cochlear implant. It’s such a clear connection, and it’s my favorite way to listen to music.
Words of Wisdom
Don’t give up. Always stand up for yourself. Be a good self-advocate and keep building that skill over time. It’s the best way to achieve your goals and overcome your obstacles.
Julie was only 17 when she was featured in Hearing Our Way’s first cover story. Now 28, she is a graduate of the University of Miami and is building her career in social media and influencer marketing. Thriving in South Florida, Julie is making friends, navigating the dating scene, traveling, and networking. While many things have changed over the last ten years, Julie is still the same girl at heart.
One thing that hasn’t changed since her first interview is Julie’s love of music—but these days instead of her once-favorite personal audio cable, she can use Bluetooth technology to listen to her favorite songs. Julie is still a social butterfly who loves to be surrounded by her friends. She even keeps in touch with Mallory, her preschool friend with cochlear implants, as well as other childhood friends with hearing loss.
Looking back on the last ten years, Julie says, “I am proud of myself for continuing to overcome obstacles throughout the course of my life, especially in the past ten years. I am so thankful to have a strong support system of family and friends who have embraced me and my life with hearing loss—whether that means repeating something I might have missed or changing table locations at a noisy restaurant. When people around you support the accommodations you need, it makes all the difference. I am also very grateful for the advancement in technology over the past few years that has helped make my day-to-day life easier. I am excited to see what my future holds!”
SUMMER 2018
H W does Braden hear?
With a Rubiks cube in hand, his signature hat, and two hearing aids!
All About Me
Hi, I’m Braden from Fort Worth, Texas! I am 11-years-old and just finished 5th grade at Fort Worth Country Day School. I am creative and have LOTS of different hobbies including doing Rubiks cubes, drawing, plus watching AND making YouTube videos, but what I’m proudest of is raising money for people that can’t afford hearing aids.
Hearing My Way
I was diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss at my newborn hearing screening and was fitted with hearing aids when I was just 3-months-old. I attend a mainstream elementary school where I use an FM system to help me in the classroom. When I can hear my teachers clearly, it really helps me focus and pay attention better. I always wished I could wear cool headphones like my friends, but now listening to music through the Bluetooth feature on my new Oticon OPN hearing aids is AWESOME!
GoFundMe.com
trips around the world. My original goal was to raise $1,000. We have now raised over $75,000 with a new goal of $100,000!
Talk of the Town
I’m only 11-years-old, but I feel like I’m on the best journey ever!
One day, my dog Chewy got ahold of my second pair of hearing aids… and ate them! My parents sat me down for a talk about being more responsible—I didn’t realize how expensive hearing aids are! They explained that we were lucky to be able to afford another pair, but it made me realize there are people who are not able to afford them. I thought of one of my inspirations, Ellen DeGeneres, who is always giving back to people on her show, and thought, “WWED—What Would Ellen Do?” Fifteen minutes later, I recorded my first of seven videos to help raise money on GoFundMe. I wear Oticon brand hearing aids and decided that the money raised would go to the Oticon Hearing Foundation, which gives out hearing aids to audiologists who do mission
I never expected that starting this fundraiser would lead me to The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Being on the show was the coolest experience I will probably ever have in my life! Ellen was just as awesome in person as she is on TV. Everyone made me feel so comfortable because I was SOOO nervous. I was so excited to meet my idol Ellen that I didn’t think getting money for my fundraiser was even an option. It was a great surprise, and I’ve been able to help even more people because of that.
Since then, I have had more opportunities to speak about my mission. I gave a TedxYouth Talk called, “You Are Never Too Young to Make an Impact,” and my main message was to find your purpose and do something with it! Recently I presented in front of 7,000 kids at WE DAY Texas, a conference that celebrates kids who are involved in mission work not only locally, but globally. There, I met Spencer West, a man with no legs who climbed Mt. Everest on his hands! JUST AWESOME!
Braden and his mom meet Ellen DeGeneres.
Mission Trip
I had the opportunity to visit Oticon headquarters in Somerset, New Jersey. There, I met Dr. Kamal Elliott, an audiologist from Pennsylvania. She thought it was really important that I see firsthand what the funds I raised would do for people. We planned a trip to Guatemala for my birthday. I saw someone hear for the first time with their new hearing aids, and Dr. Elliott said, “That’s what we call a ‘hearing smile.’” It was the best birthday gift!
You Can, Too
I would encourage other kids that want to raise money to help people to go for it! Your voices can be heard. Social media has been a huge help for me. I love to make videos, so that was an easy choice. Make sure that whatever you want to raise money for, you
Have You Heard?
truly believe in. My mom always tells me, “As long as it comes from the heart, that’s what’s most important.”
Family Fun
The support of my family has been essential to my success. My dad is such a hard worker, and my mom supports my brother Christopher, 13, and me so much in being exactly who we are.
Find Your Purpose
I’ve been able to help people all over the world, and I’m constantly inspired by new people I meet all the time. My best advice is to pay attention to the world around you—you never know when you may be called to serve your purpose… it may even be your dog that leads you there!
Braden was one of our most popular cover stories of all time. Readers from around the country, such as students in Ms. Stiene’s class from Long Island, New York, felt inspired by Braden’s story and even got in touch with him to learn more. Today, Braden continues his mission of providing hearing aids to people in need as an ambassador for the organization Hearing
Braden seeing a “hearing smile” in Guatemala.
Braden presents the money he raised to Oticon Hearing Foundation.