Meet Kayla.

Hi everyone! My name is Kayla and I was born (?) deaf in both ears (we will be getting into that shortly). I have had a cochlear implant in my right ear since I was 3 years old and have completely given up on faking it till I make it. I’m also a registered nurse in a Neuro ICU which has presented with its challenges!

Introducing a Deaf Perspective

I was born in 2000, a time where hearing screenings were not required for newborns before leaving the hospital in Illinois. My parents didn’t suspect anything and It wasn’t until my 1st birthday that they became suspicious. My cousin decided to blow a party horn in my ear, and to everyone’s surprise, I didn’t react. They took me to the doctor the next day, and lo and behold I was deaf. My doctor told my parents I could’ve been born with hearing, but who knows! (Thanks Illinois). A few years later, I got my cochlear implant and ever since then, I’ve simply just been trying to navigate in a world designated for hearing individuals. I was a figure skater for many years, which of course, is the worst sport for a deaf person since it’s all about balance. Nonetheless, I absolutely loved the sport and loved launching myself into the air. I also attended college and got a Bachelors of Science in Nursing degree and have been working as an ICU nurse for the past year!

As much as I loved figure skating, attending school, and now working, everyday presents challenges regarding my hearing that I am always trying to overcome. Despite being implanted for 20 years now, I am still learning how to maneuver my way through life.

Navigating Through Adversity as a Deaf Individual

Growing up, I didn’t know any deaf people so my circles always consisted of hearing people. However, I am very fortunate to have had friends that were more than understanding and always adjusted things to ensure I am able to hear better. Whether it’s from repeating themselves a million times or facing me when they talk, I’ve been very lucky to have such supportive friends as well as an amazing boyfriend of 6 years that has been my second set of ears. I will say I am surprised I even still have friends or a boyfriend as “huh” is the #1 word in my vocabulary. 

Aside from everyone being awesome, I was always very ashamed of my hearing loss and always tried to hide it to the best of my ability, which only made things so much worse for me. I tried to act like a “normal” person (which is stupid because we are normal, our ears just don’t want to work). As the years went on, I slowly started being more open about my hearing, whether it’s gathering up the courage to hand my mini mic over to my professor in front of my class in college or straight up telling someone that I wear a CI and need them to speak up.

When I first started working in an ICU, I tried so hard to hide my hearing loss, but with the billion sounds that are going on every second, I got so overwhelmed that I stopped caring. From bed alarms because a patient is trying to get out of bed to ventilator alarms because someone is fighting their ventilator, or an emergency situation where there’s about a million people in the room, my brain is constantly working in overdrive to differentiate what the sounds are and who is saying what. I started opening up about my hearing to my coworkers and explaining my situation, and I can’t even explain how much of a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I’m fortunate enough that everyone has been super understanding. Now, the only anxiety I have going into work is what in the world is going to get thrown at me that night.

Guidance for Living Deaf

My biggest recommendation, which is something that I’ve learned the hard way after all these years, is that it's seriously not worth trying to hide hearing loss. Not only does it make things more difficult on ourselves, but it leads to misunderstandings with others. There’s been situations where someone’s tried calling my name and I would keep walking because I didn’t hear them, and that probably led them to thinking I’m ignoring them. If that person knew I was deaf, they would know I didn’t hear them and not that I’m some sort of jerk. Now that’s not to say I’m 100% comfortable with my hearing loss, I still struggle to advocate for myself sometimes, but I’m 1000x better at it than in the previous years. 

My cochlear implant brand is Cochlear Americas, and I am so grateful for the technology that’s evolved over the years because live listen on my phone has become my best friend. If I’m ever in a group situation, I try to remember to utilize it because it has made life so much easier. Cochlear Implants have come such a long way and they are not done evolving!!

A Journey of Strength and Resilience

Since opening up more about my hearing and finding a new light in my acceptance, I’ve seen a change not only in my demeanor but of others. Instead of feeling scared of missing something or simply ignoring it, I find myself much more vocal and ready to ask questions when needed. My biggest argument for a college major was to find a job that lacked the necessity of communication, and I now find myself speaking openly with my coworkers who understand I may need some extra volume or a rephrasing due to masks (Ms. Rona still haunts me). From my coworkers, to my friends, boyfriend, and family, no one hesitates to repeat what they’ve said, and I’ve taken control of what I’ve once thought was a downfall. This has increased my confidence and made me feel in control of something I never had a say in.

Thank you so much for reading!! My goal was to help you realize you are not alone in this and I hope I did a good job! :) If you want to follow me on Instagram, stalk me, or just chit-chat, it is @kayla.gabriel ;). And of course, don’t forget to follow @forthedeafgirl!!