Before we get there, let me let you into my secret. Its been with me for longer than I can remember,just a couple of friends or those really close to me that know about it.
I'm partially deaf on both ears! Yeah I am. I wasn't born that way but I noticed it when I was in school that I couldn't hear well, except it was really loud or I was close enough to read your lips. This challenge had made me avoid the company of people,because you may have to repeat your self over again for me to get what you're saying or talk loud. That can be frustrating, especially when you see the look on people's face that shows that they aren't enjoying the conversation because they have to repeat themselves over again so I can hear.
I could have chosen to let that make me feel defeated and angry and ended up been less than who God has made me to be and quit on life,but I have made a choice to rise above my shame and make the most of life because truth be told, there is more to life than my two ears. There is more I can achieve and become so I chose not to focus on what I can't do, but what I can do. I chose to thank God for eyes,for hands for a creative mind and for God himself. That's my challenge to you today. Rise above the challenges and chose to focus on your strength then make the most of it.
So here's the story of first the Deaf lady who became a Lawyer and the Guy with the incomplete finger who became a drummer.
Enjoy:
Gotten from www.punch.com
July 30th 2016
Catherine Edeh
Catherine Edeh, who was recently called to bar, tells Nonye Ben-Nwankwo how she overcame her disability to study law in Nigeria
How do you feel achieving this feat of becoming a lawyer despite living with hearing impairment?
I feel more than good. I have always echoed into every listening ear that there is nothing like 'disability'. People you see around on wheelchairs and crutches, with white sticks and dark glasses, those whose main languages are signs and gestures, do not live with disabilities in the sense many see them. We have so much potential but we need acceptance, support and encouragement from the society to be the best we can.
What was your dream while growing up?
Growing up as a kid, I did not have the dream of becoming a lawyer. I disliked lawyers because in my naive mentality, I always pictured them as callous people who made the innocent suffer. Right from primary three, I aimed to be a nurse; the rationale behind this being that unlike lawyers who hurt and victimise innocent people, nurses care for and cure people. I wanted to heal bodies and souls of sick and suffering people. But the devil struck. I became ill and went deaf in primary five. Subsequently, my family lost interest in sponsoring my education. I was asked to go and learn either sewing or hairdressing which I flatly turned down. To register his seriousness in his decision that I should leave school and go into sewing/hairdressing apprenticeship, my late dad refused to sponsor my common entrance examination when I was in primary six.
Months after my First School Leaving Certificate Examination, I was enrolled into a commercial school because I flatly stood my ground that I must go to school, deafness or no deafness. This however killed my dream of becoming a nurse because the commercial school I was admitted into did not offer physics and chemistry.
How did you become deaf since it wasn't from birth?
It was accidental, a resultant effect of a high dose of chloramphenicol injection administered on me when I was very ill as a kid and was hospitalised at University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu.
How have you been able to cope with it?
Initially, I used to hide the fact that I was deaf from as many people as I could, because of the stigma. But I thank God for the divine pathway He paved that led me first to Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo, where I was truly rehabilitated, orientated and re-orientated. Today, I manage my deafness very well because I understand almost everything relating to deafness and deaf people.
How was growing up as a deaf child?
Growing up as a deaf child was very challenging. This was because after I became deaf, I neither got rehabilitated as early as possible nor joined the deaf community till 12 years later when I got admitted into Federal College of Education (Special) Oyo where I started interacting with deaf colleagues and learning sign language. It has been an interesting and rewarding journey since then. Nevertheless, despite the challenges I had before I proceeded to Oyo for NCE in Special Education, I had supportive friends I met during my commercial school days, and my family, neighbours and relatives who believed in me and would always go out of their ways to make me feel comfortable, happy and protected.
Were there people who tried to discourage you by telling you that you wouldn't make it?
Yes, there were many people who tried to discourage me with their pessimism. But then, I had already been fully rehabilitated at Federal College of Education (Special) Oyo. I had grown to understand myself and the society. I had been tasked with the responsibility to go out and change the pessimistic views about disability of many in the society. So advocacy was my weapon against pessimists.
The schools I attended however were strong pillars of support to me. I made use of interpreters throughout my university and Law School programmes, with the total support of the schools. More importantly, they were financially responsible for the remuneration of the sign language interpreters and speech to text caption provider I used, thus making me the first deaf Nigerian/West African female to make use of the system, and even influence Law School to start adopting the system. I did not for once hide my deafness from any of the school authorities.
How easy was it with your studies?
It was not easy. Studying Law is a very difficult task for those who are not deaf. To a completely deaf person, the challenges can be argued to be ten times greater. I passed through so much unspeakable stress. But all these need to be kept behind. The fact that I have been admitted into the Bar has rewarded my efforts.
Were there times you were mocked or ridiculed when you were younger?
Yes, there were numerous occasions. It was not easy growing up as a deaf child in the SouthEast without rehabilitation. But I thank God all these are now in the past. I have been rehabilitated. The mockery or ridicule I passed through for over ten years before my rehabilitation also helped to remold and strengthen me a lot. So today, ridicule or whatever it may be no longer gets at me. Everywhere I find myself, I make it my primary responsibility to advocate for inclusion. The gallon of tears I have shed every night in solitude for so many years and the stigma have taught me that if I continue subjecting myself to endless tears without taking steps to redress the injustice, things will never change... My slogan throughout was 'Winners never quit and quitters never win' and 'Today's pain is tomorrow's gain...
STORY TWO
THE STORY BEGINS
Years ago in the 1980's I was born into the family of MR & MRS ALLY, a less prevailage home where we grew up happily and contented with the little we had.
I was born with a great challenge which made people say i will not be able to do anything with my hands and will not be able to even walk on my feet, but God in his mercy gave me grace and one day I stood up on my feet and walked. My family was so happy because I was not a cripple. I grew up loving music and drums became my favourite. Today I play drums so well with those same hands that was said I couldn't use to do anything. Sometimes I wonder why it has to be me when I watch and listen to some of my recordings both live and studio, but all glory goes to him
God has been faithful and gracious to me. I may not be where I want to be but the truth is that I am still not where I use to be. Believe in yourself, trust in God and have faith. All praise to the giver of gifts and talents(GOD) almighty. I will forever praise him with the gifts he gave me. I LOVE YOU LORD
They had every reason to be angry at God and stay angry but though they got angry but didn't stay angry. They rose above their 'defect' and are making a change.
What about you?
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN
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