A Vision of
Independence and Dignity

Growing up, I faced challenges no child should have to. My hearing loss wasn’t seen as part of who I was but as something to overcome—or worse, to hide.

Doctors told my family not to let me use more than one hearing aid, warning that I might become "dependent." They even said I should only wear it during school hours, as if I didn’t need to hear after the bell rang.

It was a lonely experience, and I often felt like I had to fight just to exist in a world that wouldn’t accommodate me.