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Helen Keller Communication Day Inspires Deafblind New Zealanders | Voxy.co.nz
Phil Thorn's letter to New Zealand for Helen Keller Communication Day
Dear New Zealand,
My name is Phil Thorn, and three years ago I went on a journey from being a healthy 39-year-old father of two, running a business in Queenstown, to becoming both deaf and blind.
I'm sharing my story with you on Helen Keller Communication Day to give an insight of what it's like to be deafblind. And most of all I want to spread the message that, with the right help, a disability doesn't need to hold you back. I celebrate life, and I want to make the world a bigger, brighter place.
Back in 2008 I was living with my amazing wife Julia and our two children, managing a camp and conference centre. I loved my job and working with people. On 26 September 2008, I was suddenly struck down with Bacterial Meningitis. I slipped into a coma and thankfully my wife got me into an ambulance quickly, which helped to save my life.
In hospital my life teetered in the balance for three weeks. When I finally came out of the coma, my world had changed. I was now deaf and blind, and I also had very loud Tinnitus in my head, which sounded like a jet plane. While I was in the coma I came down with pneumonia and had a number of strokes which left me paralysed down the left side of my body, and in both legs from the waist down.
I was moved to a rehabilitation centre, where my wife communicated with me using foam letters which I felt with my hands. This is a very slow way to communicate, but I soon learnt the frightening truth about my permanent disabilities. It was rather challenging to be in a dark, noisy-yet-silent world, with no use of my body from the waist down. The world had changed for me, and for the people I loved most, who I could now only hug.
My amazing rehabilitation team started working to help me rebuild my world. A speech therapist discovered deafblind signing and taught me, which helped to speed up communication. While in rehab, I was given the chance to learn braille through the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind and I jumped at it, as I realised it would help me create a future. It also gave me something to do as I had many hours of loneliness and darkness.
After completing the course, I was given the opportunity to learn how to use a deafblind communicator, which is a portable communication device with all sorts of functionality based around braille, which a deafblind person can use to interact with others. Communication is a big thing for me, and I now use it every day for things like emailing friends and family. And for writing this letter.
A year after my illness, I had an operation to install a Cochlear implant. This has helped to reduce the loud Tinnitus and also to restore some hearing. Currently I am not picking up speech, but I am working hard on it.
I attend the gym daily with the belief that I am going to walk again in the not-too-distant future. This year I have also begun studying health psychology through distance learning. In my spare time I enjoy doing sandstone sculpting. In the future I hope to run a motivational business based from my home. Once I'm back on my feet, I'll then work towards entering the Lake Taupo bike race on a tandem bike. I plan to travel overseas with my family for a holiday and would like to do the Milford Track, along with many other things.��
Life is challenging, and it is still hard to interact with my kids at times, but technology has made life a lot easier. I celebrate that my life has been given back to me. I acknowledge all of those who have helped, encouraged and supported me along the way, especially my family for sticking beside me through this 'crazy-amazing' journey, as I call it. There is still a long way to go, but I am determined not to let it hold me back. So watch this space!
Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Keep believing in your dreams, even on the hard days, because with inner strength and hard work anything can be achieved.
Best wishes to you all, Phil Thorn
Phil Thorn's letter to New Zealand for Helen Keller Communication Day
Dear New Zealand,
My name is Phil Thorn, and three years ago I went on a journey from being a healthy 39-year-old father of two, running a business in Queenstown, to becoming both deaf and blind.
I'm sharing my story with you on Helen Keller Communication Day to give an insight of what it's like to be deafblind. And most of all I want to spread the message that, with the right help, a disability doesn't need to hold you back. I celebrate life, and I want to make the world a bigger, brighter place.
Back in 2008 I was living with my amazing wife Julia and our two children, managing a camp and conference centre. I loved my job and working with people. On 26 September 2008, I was suddenly struck down with Bacterial Meningitis. I slipped into a coma and thankfully my wife got me into an ambulance quickly, which helped to save my life.
In hospital my life teetered in the balance for three weeks. When I finally came out of the coma, my world had changed. I was now deaf and blind, and I also had very loud Tinnitus in my head, which sounded like a jet plane. While I was in the coma I came down with pneumonia and had a number of strokes which left me paralysed down the left side of my body, and in both legs from the waist down.
I was moved to a rehabilitation centre, where my wife communicated with me using foam letters which I felt with my hands. This is a very slow way to communicate, but I soon learnt the frightening truth about my permanent disabilities. It was rather challenging to be in a dark, noisy-yet-silent world, with no use of my body from the waist down. The world had changed for me, and for the people I loved most, who I could now only hug.
My amazing rehabilitation team started working to help me rebuild my world. A speech therapist discovered deafblind signing and taught me, which helped to speed up communication. While in rehab, I was given the chance to learn braille through the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind and I jumped at it, as I realised it would help me create a future. It also gave me something to do as I had many hours of loneliness and darkness.
After completing the course, I was given the opportunity to learn how to use a deafblind communicator, which is a portable communication device with all sorts of functionality based around braille, which a deafblind person can use to interact with others. Communication is a big thing for me, and I now use it every day for things like emailing friends and family. And for writing this letter.
A year after my illness, I had an operation to install a Cochlear implant. This has helped to reduce the loud Tinnitus and also to restore some hearing. Currently I am not picking up speech, but I am working hard on it.
I attend the gym daily with the belief that I am going to walk again in the not-too-distant future. This year I have also begun studying health psychology through distance learning. In my spare time I enjoy doing sandstone sculpting. In the future I hope to run a motivational business based from my home. Once I'm back on my feet, I'll then work towards entering the Lake Taupo bike race on a tandem bike. I plan to travel overseas with my family for a holiday and would like to do the Milford Track, along with many other things.��
Life is challenging, and it is still hard to interact with my kids at times, but technology has made life a lot easier. I celebrate that my life has been given back to me. I acknowledge all of those who have helped, encouraged and supported me along the way, especially my family for sticking beside me through this 'crazy-amazing' journey, as I call it. There is still a long way to go, but I am determined not to let it hold me back. So watch this space!
Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Keep believing in your dreams, even on the hard days, because with inner strength and hard work anything can be achieved.
Best wishes to you all, Phil Thorn