Deaf family documentary

Timrawa

New Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2013
Messages
18
Reaction score
0
Many years ago I saw a show about a family who must make a decision about their 13 year old daughter, who was deaf but elgible for an implant. The father who is also deaf was dead set against it. The grandparents, hearies, could not understand why. I did not get to see the end of the show. Does any one know how the show ended? I felt like he thought he would lose his daughter if she gained her hearing. Would not want anything to do with dad.
I so hope he reconsidered. My reasoning is, if her leg were broke, he would have it fixed.
If anybody is familiar with this documentary, I would like to hear more sbout it.
Tim
 
There had been a great debate about having CI (Cochlear Implant) to young children. Usually it would be better to ask her or him if they want to have CI. That would be the decision on the child, not the parents. CI devices are not that great, though. There has been problems with CI devices. Some deaf children and adults manage to hear okay or excellent but then later have problems with Devices. It is the same with hearing aids. No devices are not perfect. That is why there is no difference when it come with surgery. It cost a lot of money to have surgery for CI. I remembered the little girl told her Deaf parents that she does not want CI. She had met another deaf who had CI and was talking, not signing ASL. But the daughter really wanted to sign ASL better. She was happy the way she is. That is her decision. You or any parents should not force babies and young children on having CIs. The hearing parents did not know what it is like to be deaf. Using the devices can only solve minimum solutions but not clearly able to understand without lipreading.

As a matter of fact, Lipreading is not accurate because we can not hear sounds very well especially wearing hearing aids or CI. We can only guess or manage to pick up some words in lipreading. It is about less than 30% what we could make out. So that is why having the surgery is not always a good idea with devices. What would happen if the deaf person does not want CI and would like to take it out? That would cost more money to get the devices out or replace new ones. Once the surgeon take it out, then the deaf person will stay deaf permanently for life. I hope that answer your questions.

Yes, a person who broke her leg can be fix and that is okay for surgery. But when it come with deafness, you have to understand that devices is not the way to go for surgery. It is a very complicated surgery. Some deaf don't think it is complicated but I know better that it does complicate their lives. Other deaf people think they are BORG from the Enterprise programs on T.V. There is a reason for that. Just listen to the deaf child by seeing her or him gesture what they want for themselves. If they want to go into Deaf school, let them go, please. If they don't want to sign ASL, then let them do what they want. Don't force them to do what you want them to do. You can not fix them just because CI is a miracle which it is not a miracle. If you want to study or research about CI, then that is for you to know what it is all about from the manufacturing companies. :(
 
Many years ago I saw a show about a family who must make a decision about their 13 year old daughter, who was deaf but elgible for an implant. The father who is also deaf was dead set against it. The grandparents, hearies, could not understand why. I did not get to see the end of the show. Does any one know how the show ended? I felt like he thought he would lose his daughter if she gained her hearing. Would not want anything to do with dad.
I so hope he reconsidered. My reasoning is, if her leg were broke, he would have it fixed.
If anybody is familiar with this documentary, I would like to hear more sbout it.
Tim

Ha thats getting old news. The father is VERY proud of his daughter who is in LAW school. ;) His wife had CI but never used it. His sister had CI but used it whenever she feels like. His sister's one or two sons got CI as well. His brother's son got CI. so all of them are OK now. His daughter do have both Deaf and Hearing worlds. Actually his daughter is very smart. It makes sense as to why she wanted a CI becasue she UNDERSTOOD about how important CI is. She did very well with her CI, and school.
 
when I went deaf CI was talked about but I had other brain problems and it not pursued but I saw people who did and they were adults CI failed after short time and the dis_heartment for them was awful to see.
As for children my opinion is to wait until they can make educated decisions maybe 13 is that age,i think she should have chance have both worlds.
this arugment that will always go on but the broken leg example is bad one
 
Heather is doing very well with her CI, extremely bright and intelligent, doing great in school. She's definitely a very positive role model. She did a TED Talks speech a couple years ago at a university, talking about the CI controversy and her family's experience, and how she was living in her own world (Heather World), not Deaf World, not Hearing world; but HER world. She's happy and well, and that's all that matters! :) Mom and siblings have gotten implants too. Dad is the only one in that family that hasn't gotten an implant.

there is a follow up documentary which can be found on Youtube: Sound and Fury Six Years Later. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKCuoESmLpk

and here is Heather's speech at Georgetown University from TED Talks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhm5OaXJVMQ

both videos are captioned for anyone else interested in watching them.
 
Heather is doing very well with her CI, extremely bright and intelligent, doing great in school. She's definitely a very positive role model. She did a TED Talks speech a couple years ago at a university, talking about the CI controversy and her family's experience, and how she was living in her own world (Heather World), not Deaf World, not Hearing world; but HER world. She's happy and well, and that's all that matters! :) Mom and siblings have gotten implants too. Dad is the only one in that family that hasn't gotten an implant.

there is a follow up documentary which can be found on Youtube: Sound and Fury Six Years Later. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKCuoESmLpk

and here is Heather's speech at Georgetown University from TED Talks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhm5OaXJVMQ

both videos are captioned for anyone else interested in watching them.

The first video linked to has the auto captions. After battling with that I discovered that the one listed under it on the right hand side is the same thing with professional captions. You might like to go to that one. BUT a BIG thanks to cdmeggers for posting this!

I have not yet watched the one in the second link so don't know how the captioning is.
 
I am glad that all fights are over for Peter,Nita, Chris and Jeanette, so they all can get along well all over again.. I saw peter last weekend and he looks so peaceful now. I never forget the look on him few years ago and was very anrgy. Now its over.
 
So, the bottom line - getting the CI neither killed the "Deaf" in Heather nor made her a "hearie"?

Fuzzy
 
I am the CI user, and the bottom line is; I am still stone deaf. If I turn it off, I can't hear anything anymore until I turn the sound processor back on. Even if I learn to speak, I still also use sign language as I have friends who are deaf, like me.
 
The first video linked to has the auto captions. After battling with that I discovered that the one listed under it on the right hand side is the same thing with professional captions. You might like to go to that one. BUT a BIG thanks to cdmeggers for posting this!

I have not yet watched the one in the second link so don't know how the captioning is.

Those captions are incomplete. If you have Netflix, the film with complete captions is available. Search for it..

EDIT: Actually, the, Six Years Later film is not on Netfilx, just the original.
 
Last edited:
This. If you turn your CI off, you're deaf. CI is more of prosthesis for hearing replacement, not an outright cure, so in other word, I am still officially deaf.
 
This. If you turn your CI off, you're deaf. CI is more of prosthesis for hearing replacement, not an outright cure, so in other word, I am still officially deaf.

If you turn on your CI, you're still deaf. Hearing devices don't make you not deaf. They make you hear.
 
This. If you turn your CI off, you're deaf. CI is more of prosthesis for hearing replacement, not an outright cure, so in other word, I am still officially deaf.

Totally, I wear glasses, but I still have terrible vision. The glasses don't cure my vision, just help it
 
Back
Top