Hearing Is Not Everything

I was born with 75% hearing loss and have worn a hearing aid in my right ear  since I was 6 months old.  I had two ear reconstructive surgeries when I
was younger to make it possible to wear a hearing aid.  My parents recognized early on that I had a
hearing disability and because they took such important steps to make sure I
got the help I needed early on, I can speak normally and live a normal
lifestyle today.  I have never been
hindered by this disability, and honestly, I don’t even think of it as a disability
or even notice it, really. Most people don’t even know I have one (this could
be in part to my shaggy hair, which isn’t getting a bit out of control after 3
months without a haircut). My parents love and wisdom with me when I was a
child opened up the sounds of the world for me, and for that I will be forever
grateful. However, not everyone has the opportunities I had.

David is 4 years old. When he was a baby
and toddler his mother used to tie him to a bedpost while she went to work
because she didn’t know how to take care of him. She thought he was mentally
challenged, and she couldn’t take him to work because she couldn’t control him
or communicate with him. David was abused and malnourished when he was
discovered by neighbors, who took him to a social worker. He didn’t have
parents who loved him or knew what was wrong with him, so he suffered their
abuse. David never had a chance.

David is deaf.

I met David yesterday at one at an
orphanage for the deaf here in Cochabamba and immediately took a liking to him. All this kid would
do was smile at me, hug me, and play with my Rayban sunglasses. He had so much
joy in him, was so sweet, and I wondered why anyone would give him up.  When I heard his story it broke my heart. Seriously,
who would do those things to such a sweet kid? His story immediately touched me
in a personal way; I could relate to him, even if it was just a little bit.

I couldn’t let go of David, and for the
hour we were there we played on the swingset, him in my lap, we climbed up to
the top of the slides and slid down, and I helped him across monkey bars. I was
able to love David, and he was able to love me. It broke my heart that maybe
David won’t ever know what it’s like to have parents love him, but I couldn’t
think too much about that.