A view from a daughter to her father about COCHLEAR IMPLANTS - "Sound & Fury"..

This was difficult for me to write as a "person" who is hearing whereas I am deaf, and I have a cochlear implant. I had to watch a movie, called "Sound & Fury", a movie about two families who had a big controversy over their children getting a cochlear implant. So, I had to write a letter as the daughter who is 6 years old, who orginally wanted the implant, but later on, changed her mind due to her parents' influence of not wanting her to get the implant. In this letter, I am persuading "her father" that I do want the implant and what it has to offer:

Please let me know what you think of the letter. It is for my ASL class. Thanks!

Dear Dad,

I feel this is the only attention I can get to you about how I feel
about the cochlear implant. I understand it is frustrating to listen to our
family discuss about the possibilities of having a cochlear implant, and
how it would impact my life and yours. I believe that I am pro for the
cochlear implant and I need your support and encouragement as a
father, even if you are against it. This letter is for you to read on your
own time and I hope you will understand from what I want to say. I love
you and I feel that having an cochlear implant will improve my quality of
life in the future and not only that I will be able to hear, I will still be part
of the deaf culture, no matter what.

I am Deaf, I am proud of who I am. I want the implant only to be
able to have a better opportunity later on in life. I’m not saying that I
don’t want to be deaf anymore, because in a real sense, I will always be.
If I have the device, it does not change that fact. I know, first thing you
say about the cochlear implant will make me hearing, but it does no
such thing. Hearing means, I have to choose between two worlds, but I
do not want to do that. I am choosing to have the implant to have the
ability to communicate in both worlds. Technology is improving every
day. There is one thing that the deaf and hearing agree on, which is that
technology has the power to provide great accessibility, increase people’s
quality of life if they offer it a chance. I feel that that is what the cochlear
implant is about. It gives me a chance to improve my life whereas I still
can be deaf at the same time.

There is every positive and negative outlook on the issue of getting
a cochlear implant. I feel you are constantly focusing on the negative side
of the issue whereas it should be the positive side. Because of your
influence, I am saying I do not want the implant, because I want to make
you happy. Yet, but deep inside, I know that will cause me to maybe
regret not getting it earlier in my life rather than later. What about my
cousin, Peter? He is only 9 months old and his parents decided to have
the procedure so he will be able to have what I want as we both become
older. Remember that day when we all went to visit another family and I
met their daughter who has a cochlear implant? She was able to
communicate. I was amazed! She could speak and hear music. She is
happy with it, and I want to feel the same way she does, I know I will. I
want to understand sound, to hear voices and express my thoughts
verbally through the spoken language. Music is one of the things I would
love to hear some day. I want to talk on the telephone just like everyone
else. I want to help people with ASL if they need to communicate in a
different way. I have told you my reasons why I want a cochlear implant
but you are so strongly against it that I decide to not to consider it or
state my reason why I do not want it, even though I am a perfect
candidate. Getting a cochlear implant does not eliminate my deafness.

I hope you reconsider allowing me to make a decision on my own,
with no conflicting factors. When I have wanted the implant, I have been
around you and Mom arguing how it would take me away from the Deaf
world, rather than not realizing that it never will have that ability to.
What we need is a new start on this issue, a new chance to really look at
the positive side of what the cochlear implant can offer.

:love: That was so Very Nice & So Sweet.. Yes Dear You Have My Attention.. Thank You

Nicely done, good at explaining a cochlear implant will not change her from a deaf person to a hearing one, and will not keep her from fully participating in deaf culture, but will help her expand the horizons of others, as well as expand her own world.

It is very well written, but if it is meant to be penned by a six year old, it sounds WAY too advanced.

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Originally Posted by jackie

It is very well written, but if it is meant to be penned by a six year old, it sounds WAY too advanced.

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Oh I know.. I wasn't exactly sure how to do it, but it had to be at college level. *shrug* but hey, I got the point across. ;)

Thanks!

Absolutely beautiful!!

There was a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie recently (I think) staring Marlee Matlin and Steven _____ (the dad from Seventh Heaven) and it was about a couple who was battling the same decision for their son. I never even thought about there being any argument against a device that would improve or allow hearing! I thought their storyline was a bit swayed because the wife's father was a deaf activist if there is such thing.

Anyway, I think you did well, Rachael. And it all made sense to me since I had seen that movie.
Logan

Very good!! Have you, by chance, gotten to see the CI documentary I posted before, where the Deaf couple got CIs in their 60's? I haven't seen "Sound & Fury" in years.

It seems that one way to look at it is that the person with the implant would be "bilingual" in a way. I have a friend who is deaf, and she has a husband who hears but is quite fluent (as far as I can tell, anyway) in ASL. We met at my high school reunion. I think "Deaf" culture isolating itself from "Hearing" culture is to the detriment of both.

That is a great letter. Well done!

It's very well written, Rachel. You did a great job.:)

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Originally Posted by critters

Very good!! Have you, by chance, gotten to see the CI documentary I posted before, where the Deaf couple got CIs in their 60's? I haven't seen "Sound & Fury" in years.

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Actually no, I haven't yet. Do you still have that?

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Originally Posted by CountryWolf07

Actually no, I haven't yet. Do you still have that?

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It's on this bb somewhere, but that's as close as I can get. LOL!

Very nice letter, CW. My thoughts/issues with the CIs (I am deaf, too) is that it's a decision not to be made lightly. I am sure you thought your decision through as you have one, and I hope it works well for you. I wear hearing aids myself.

But as far as children are concerned, I do take issue with parents trying to force CIs on children who are not old enough to decide if they want this (what is wrong with wearing hearing aids UNTIL the child decides they'd be interested in a CI ? I have a profound hearing loss yet with speech therapists and mainstreaming, I speak very well, I graduated with Honors and from college.) So, hearing aids worked just fine for me.

This is not meant to be a pro-con debate of hearing aids vs. CIs, what I am saying is I take issue with parents forcing CIs on children who can't make that decision for themselves yet when hearing aids would do until they CAN make that decision.

And I don't understand either, a 6 year old insisting on having a CI. What if she regretted that decision later as an adult or older child? (For those who don't know, a hearing aid assists/amplifies whatever remaining hearing you have, whereas a CI surgery eradicates all residual hearing -- I know medical technology is working to change that) so for a CI, there is no going back.

That's why I don't think children, by way of themselves wanting a CI, or by way of parents forcing them to have a CI, should have one until they are clearly old enough to make an educated and personal choice.

Just my 2 cents! I don't mean to offend you in any way, CW. I know everyone has their opinion and I'm very glad your CI works for you.

No worries, you have not offended me at all. I agree. :) It's just that the child in the movie, actually wanted the implant, but her parents were telling her NOT to get it, so it made her decide that she did not want one, because of her parents' influence. That, I didn't enjoy seeing.

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Originally Posted by MommyOf3cats

Very nice letter, CW. My thoughts/issues with the CIs (I am deaf, too) is that it's a decision not to be made lightly. I am sure you thought your decision through as you have one, and I hope it works well for you. I wear hearing aids myself.

But as far as children are concerned, I do take issue with parents trying to force CIs on children who are not old enough to decide if they want this (what is wrong with wearing hearing aids UNTIL the child decides they'd be interested in a CI ? I have a profound hearing loss yet with speech therapists and mainstreaming, I speak very well, I graduated with Honors and from college.) So, hearing aids worked just fine for me.

This is not meant to be a pro-con debate of hearing aids vs. CIs, what I am saying is I take issue with parents forcing CIs on children who can't make that decision for themselves yet when hearing aids would do until they CAN make that decision.

And I don't understand either, a 6 year old insisting on having a CI. What if she regretted that decision later as an adult or older child? (For those who don't know, a hearing aid assists/amplifies whatever remaining hearing you have, whereas a CI surgery eradicates all residual hearing -- I know medical technology is working to change that) so for a CI, there is no going back.

That's why I don't think children, by way of themselves wanting a CI, or by way of parents forcing them to have a CI, should have one until they are clearly old enough to make an educated and personal choice.

Just my 2 cents! I don't mean to offend you in any way, CW. I know everyone has their opinion and I'm very glad your CI works for you.

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If the CI is in fact irreversible, then the fact that she didn't get one now opens up the possibility of changing her mind later. The technology will likely improve, like it has with all kinds of prostheses. As a hearing person, if I were going deaf and could get some kind of "bionic" ear I think I'd be inclined to do it. People who have never heard, who knows?

(I wonder how many deaf folks are on PT. More than I thought!)