Lost in my own World

When I was 4 years, apart from some babbling and a few words, I was not yet talking. My parents had not picked up that something might be wrong. In Kindergarten I was truly lost in my own world oblivious to the singing and activities of the other children. My nursery schoolteacher told my parents that something was “wrong” as I would come to her when she motioned to me and I could see her, but I wouldn’t respond at all when she spoke to me behind my back. She told my parents that she suspected I was deaf or very hard of hearing and suggested I have my hearing tested. My father had a temper tantrum and yelled at her – “There is nothing wrong with my child.” But my mother persuaded him that they should have my hearing tested. And sure enough, the test determined that I was had a severe to profound hearing loss. This hearing loss was probably caused by a medication my mother took when she was five months pregnant with me to treat her severe nausea and profoundly changed the course of my life.