See this and more inside the December issue of Military Spouse Magazine!
Our daughter Harper came into this world with complete gusto. The doctor told us she was perfectly petite. We affectionately nicknamed her, “The Bean.” Only there was a tiny part of her inner-ear anatomy that was enlarged by the size of a hair. Some might not think that sounds like a lot, but when it comes to the ear, it matters. This meant she had hearing loss.
As fate would have it—or more specifically—genetics, we were no strangers to having a child born with something out of the ordinary. Our son, 21 months older, was born with the same syndrome causing hearing loss.
This provided us with a roadmap. It didn’t mean it would be easy, but we had already experienced a crash-course in “how to” navigate the ins and outs of having a child who was hard of hearing. Part of this meant countless trips to see ENT’s, audiologists, speech therapists, and more. We opted to equip our kids with hearing aids and later cochlear implants, devices that provide access to sound.
Being a career military family that, like most, experienced several relocations during the early seasons of parenthood, we had to build a strong team of advocates to champion for our kids no matter where we were stationed. This team helped shape the way we would view our kids’ disability.
One of those champions was a renowned auditory verbal therapist who specializes in helping kids who utilized hearing technology develop spoken language. He encouraged us with this:
“Instead of limiting your kids by only measuring milestones amongst their deaf peers, believe that they are capable of anything their peers (hearing or other) can achieve. If you set the bar high for your kids, they will rise to meet or exceed it.”
It was philosophies like this that shaped the way we approached parenting our kids who have special needs, and part of the reason why they don’t view hearing loss as something that limits them.
Never was this more evident than when Harper plopped her over-flowing, ragged backpack on the kitchen counter on her last day of school. As I thumbed through a year’s worth of musing from her well worn writing journal, I was blown away by what I read. One particular essay, following a daily writing prompt, “What Makes you Unique,” brought me to tears.
Within the piece I found passages like:
“My parents have never made me feel like there was anything I couldn’t do.”
“I play sports to show other kids that even if you have cochlear implants, you can still compete.”
“I want people to know that no matter what challenges you might face, you can soar like me.”
“Being a military kid has taught me to battle. Hearing loss is my battle call.”
“My mom and dad have always helped me believe I can achieve anything I put my mind to.”
I have had people tell me since writing my first short story in second grade about a walking/talking sponge named Bob, that I should “write a book.” But even after studying journalism in college and working as a freelance writer and blogger, writing a book wasn’t something on my bucket list.
Within the tattered pages of my daughter’s notebook, though, I immediately knew wholeheartedly THIS was the book. It wasn’t my story that needed to be told, it was Harper’s. What’s more, this would be OUR publishing journey, sharing the story I wished had been available when my kids were newly diagnosed and we were navigating through the early stages of hearing loss.
We imagined it on the nightstand of every child who was deaf or hard of hearing, encouraging them and their families to set the bar high.
We understood that kids need to see themselves represented within the pages of what they read; kids need to see what is possible.
Almost two years later, along with hundreds of rewrites and edits, our book, “Now Hear This: Harper Soars with Her Magics Ears,” was released in February 2020!
Told in Harper’s witty 12-year-old voice, this passion project was released with the same gusto in which she entered the world, rising to #1 New Release on Amazon.
Next came the book tour schedule, along with a packed schedule of visits to book fairs and schools for readings. We were set to serve as keynote speakers at several hearing loss conferences, anxious to finally share our book with the world.
Then. The world shut down: Canceled. Rescheduled. Postponed. But even amidst a global pandemic, Harper decided rather than giving up to face this next challenge with determination and tenacity.
“I think being a military kid has prepared me to adapt and expect the unexpected,” Harper says. “We have to be able to make the best of situations.”
She pivoted. To date, Harper has done countless read-clouds to classrooms via Zoom. She has also been a podcast guest and served as a guest speaker for a virtual college class and webinar.
The book continues to reach kids across the globe, encouraging them to not let their hearing loss stop them from reaching for the stars. Most recently, Harper was even interviewed via FaceTime by a girl who also has cochlear implants for a book report about a character in a book that inspires.
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Harper closes the book:
“Kids with hearing loss are as unique as a fingerprint. The one thing we have in common is that we want to be treated like any other kids. We want to be included and accepted…I want you to know, no matter how tiny you are when you enter this world, or if you’re hard of hearing or born with something else that challenges you—you can reach. Rise. And soar! Just like me.”
I can’t think of a better message for all kids, and even more specifically, military kids everywhere.
You can follow more of our family’s journey at mybattlecall.com
The book can be found at Amazon, BarnesandNoble.com, and target.com
