Topic > His Eyes and Ears: A Life Experience - 1216

The early morning dew lingers in the air, the dawn slowly creeps across the sky, it's twenty-five past seven in the morning and he's finally arrived. I run towards the bus doors as soon as they open and greet him with a big sincere smile. His special smile that is engraved in my heart returns the gesture. His eyes dart towards the ground as the sun's rays sting his eyes. By shielding his eyes, I provide enough comfort for him to look up. I place my steady hand on his fragile hands offering guidance as we enter. He willingly accepts my hand and together we go up the steps and then walk towards the door. Children of all ages greet us with hugs, high fives and smiles. They ask me a million questions. "Can he talk?" “What's wrong with him?” “You talk with your hands, don't you?” I struggle to think of words that will form a perfect answer for their inquisitive little minds. I wonder why it's so hard to explain. The truth is, I can't find the words to describe how special, unique and talented this deafblind child is. I can't find the words to describe how this amazing child has changed my life and the lives of many others. Although I have all five senses, deafblindness has impacted my world in indescribable ways. Helen Keller, also deafblind, once said, “We can do so little alone; together we can do a lot." This famous quote has become a daily journey for us. Through my eyes and ears, I give sight and hearing to this child. Through my eyes and ears, I provide experiences that create memories. Through my eyes and ears, I transform meaningless objects into meaningful things. We continue walking through the corridors; it takes forever with her small legs, very little time for my long legs. We stopped several times along the way to explore the...... center of the card ...... to be a constant battle for him, and through each battle won, he will continue to have a great impact on the world. This child has courageously demonstrated to others that he is capable of completing any task asked of him: he has achieved many phenomenal goals. I worked with him both at home and at school for a total of three years. I had the fortunate opportunity to watch my student overcome what were thought to be permanent barriers to life. Although he has double sensory loss, he accomplished more than expected. His daily life is a tiring journey that he is not forced to experience alone. His educators, his parents and specialists experience it with him. They are highly educated, eager to learn, motivated to work hard, diligently, as a team. Together, through my eyes and ears, we will continue to gain the knowledge needed to survive in this world.