I was still young, only 20. I already had a house, and became pregnant with Sarah.
The first one had died and Sarah was actually the second. I never imagined I would have deaf children.
Just, you have children, that's it. I thought Sarah could hear.
My mom and the doctor already said: she's deaf.
We always had the curtains closed because Sarah was always awake. The doctor said that wasn't good and that she had to be able to hear.
But to test this I tried something two or three times, when she was in the playpen.
Sarah was a very active child, she was on her belly, playing in the pen and I started singing: "Sarah.... Sarah..."
She didn't respond to that. Then I rattled a piggy bank and there still wasn't a reaction. She didn't notice at all.
I walked over to the pen and touched her legs and she reacted cheerfully.
Then I thought she must be deaf, because she only responds when she sees or feels something.
I waited until she calmed down and did it again. And yeah: she only reacted when she saw me.
Then someone rang the doorbell. It was my dad.
When I told him Sarah was deaf he said: so what? That's no problem, right?
It was clear and from that moment I signed to her and I didn't use my voice anymore.
She was a bit of a rascal and a very bright girl.
When I was pregnant with him I was hoping that he'd also be deaf. I didn't want to have a deaf and a hearing child.
And sure enough. At first I didn't know he was hearing impaired. We found out later.
We tried all kinds of hearing aids. But he didn't have a device at one year old because he couldn't walk yet, she did.
- Yeah, yeah. Deaf people are just more intelligent than hearing impaired people.
- Those hearing aids, that device and that wire, it bothered him and well... it just wasn't right for him.
And then the small hearing aids came, and that was great. Both for him and for me.
We bought those and from that moment on we could sing "Hihaalllaaa."
–Oh it makes my ears tingle. –But we sang that to each other.
He was indeed hearing impaired. –He does use sign language. –Yeah, and I'm severely hearing impaired, because without hearing aids I can't hear anything.
You have to add that. –Yes, of course.
Yeah, everything. Yeah... It's our language. Also for me. We don't have to hear.