“My son suffers from Mondini dysplasia, which means that his cochlea or cochlea of the ear is incomplete, and this deformity in the shape of the organ causes his total hearing loss. When Gabriel was diagnosed in Cuba there were not many cases like his, however, after three years of waiting I managed to have him operated on, ”recalled Monika Morales, who in the midst of that struggle had to move with her husband and children. [Gabriela y Gabriela] from Matanzas to Havana, in order to access rehabilitation programs.
“What we mothers live in countries like Cuba cannot be explained. In my case, after moving from Matanzas to Havana, I tried by all means to integrate my son into the formal education system, because although deafness is a disability, it does not prevent any child from learning or developing like a normal child with the right tools,” said Monika Morales, for whom there is no better doctor for a child than her own mother.
“I did everything I could while there, I hit all the doors, even reaching the highest power structures. As a mother, I organized innumerable meetings between teachers, parents, and speech therapists, since not even the school directors themselves helped deaf children by facilitating their inclusion and learning process,” she recalled.
“On the other hand, as the months went by, the external part of the cochlear implant that Gabriel had broke, and again we started from scratch because there was no replacement for that in Cuba, until we decided to emigrate,” he recalled.
A NEW LIFE
After successfully crossing the border from Mexico to the United States in 2016, Monika Morales, with the unconditional support of her husband and two children, managed to restart her life in a culture that this time facilitated the enrichment that comes from of an honest connection, which has nothing to do with what they will say. That is why she affirms with immense pride that being the mother of a child with deafness is a gift, which has allowed her to develop a deep spirituality, courage and resilience.
“It is a gift that is accompanied by a very big challenge that I fully embrace, and for which I feel very grateful,” said the entrepreneur, who through this interview seeks to share tools so that other mothers can also face their day to day, accepting its reality without losing the joy of living, and without decaying.
“On the other hand, in the United States, the High School offers interpreters, therapies and transportation for deaf students, so there is no need to be afraid of facing any stage. Sign language is very difficult, but not impossible, I have had to learn it in English and Spanish, because in both languages it is different, and if I could, any mother can”, assured Morales, who claims to have the best teacher of life, your son.
“There is nothing that cannot be overcome with family union and love, that is why I advise all mothers of deaf children not to get frustrated, and to consider themselves chosen mothers, as I am, because there are many stages through which deaf children pass by, but in all of them we learn and in all of them we can grow”, he concluded.
ABOUT THE DISEASE
Hearing loss or deafness can occur when any part of the ear does not function normally. This includes the outer ear, the middle ear, the inner ear, the auditory (acoustic) nerve, and the auditory system. For children, this disability can affect the child’s ability to develop speech, language, and social skills. So the faster they get help, the more likely they are to reach their full potential.
Signs and symptoms of hearing loss.
in babies
- Does not startle at loud noises.
- Does not turn his head toward the source of a sound after 6 months of age.
- Does not say simple words like “mama” or “dada” by the time he is 1 year old.
- He turns his head when he sees you, but he doesn’t if he only calls you by name.
- He seems to hear some sounds, but not others.
signs in children
- Slow to speak.
- He doesn’t speak clearly.
- Does not follow instructions.
- He often says “what?”
- Turn up the volume on the television too much.
Monika Morales: “I am a chosen mother, having a deaf son is my gift”