Our parents thought a lot more positively of deaf children because of her (Martie Koolhof).
–Exactly! That's really important to me. Parents having positive conversations with deaf adults, which makes a lot of worries disappear.
The change our parents went through because of that had a positive influence on us. The question remains then, which kind of influence would a negative attitude towards deafness have had on us.
Perhaps we would have been much more insecure than we are now. We are really the evidence of how deaf children can grow up to be if the parents hear positive stories...
Look at us, we have strong personalities, full of self-confidence and we're go-getters with goals.
It helps, of course, that we can support each other as sisters.
It's tough being the only deaf child in a family. That's what I hear from my friends and my boyfriend, who is the only deaf person in his family, also says that.
We don't know that feeling. I told you yesterday. If we were on vacation and went out to dinner with the family, we'd have each other.
Just imagine being alone then. Must be tough.
–I really only just "discovered" what that means and I'm 32. We were always with the two of us with the family. I really should've tried harder to make contact.
On the other hand, if you're alone you try harder to come into contact with aunts and uncles. And us? Well, we always had a good time together.
If I hadn't talked to my sister as much, our uncles and aunts would've had to put in more effort as well. Now it was like: Oh well, they have each other.
Our mom was an interpreter, so at family gatherings we'd always have an interpreter nearby. She'd translate for us.
Just like my dad, who is pretty good at sign language as well.
–I remember when I was, I think sixteen or seventeen and you went to India for four months. I really struggled with that, all alone among the family.
Okay, you discover that now, at 32, but I had to stand up for myself a lot more then. So I am very happy to have my sister.