wellness & wonder real success stories
Living a Full Life in a Quiet World
Two teens share their stories of growing up deaf in Bakersfield
WRITTEN BY Kelly Damian
PHOTOGRAPHS BY APRIL MASSIRIO
Eighth-graders Jessica Ornelas and Christopher Gonzales have known each other since pre-school. They both like to watch videos on YouTube, and they spend more time than they should texting. They know the feeling of dealing with sometimes over-protective parents and love spending time with their friends. Just like many teens, they are on the phone for hours, but when they talk, they use a videophone so they can sign to each other. Both Jessica and Christopher are deaf.
/Jessica
"WE GROW AS WE GO"
When Jessica was 3 months old, auditory brain wave tests revealed that Jessica was completely deaf. She would never hear or speak. Jessica’s parents, Denise and Albert Ornelas, were taken aback by the news that their baby was deaf, but they knew that they wanted their daughter to live a full and active life, just like her hearing brother. For them, the most important part of living a healthy life was being able to communicate with her family. A deaf interpreter began working with the family when Jessica was just a baby. As Jessica learned American Sign Language (ASL), so did her parents and older brother. “We grow as we go,” said De-
52
B Well Magazine
·
Ma y 2013
nise. “The older she gets, the more complicated the subjects become, and that’s where we, as parents, have to go back and educate ourselves. Our first language is always going to be English and hers is always going to be Sign.” When the family hits a language barrier, Denise will look for help online or she will call Jessica’s teacher. “I’m very close to Jessica’s teachers. They’ve helped raise her in a sense. Without them, without their guidance, there are so many things we wouldn’t know.” Outside of school, Jessica stays busy. When she was younger, she played soccer, basketball and T-ball. Now that she is 14, she goes out for runs by herself and
plans on running track next school year. “It feels good to run,” Jessica said through an interpreter. “I love it.” Active members of the community, Denise and Albert expect both of their children to be at ease in front of groups of people. At a recent Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce meeting, Jessica signed the flag salute in front of 500 people. Jessica doesn’t struggle with shyness. She likes shopping on her own and works hard to make herself understood. When she needs to talk to someone who doesn’t sign, she will write questions on her phone or pantomime what she wishes to communicate.