Meet Ryien.

Hey friends! My name is Ryien, I’m legally Hard of Hearing. My hearing journey has been quite a whirlwind—but let me take you along.

I was born about 2-3 months premature and had mild hearing loss from the start. It wasn’t heavily detected at first, but it was brushed under the rug in early childhood due to a high volume of ear infections and viruses. The doctor recommended having tubes inserted to help my symptoms. This ultimately led to my eardrum rupturing. We tried repairing it with a paper graft but it was unsuccessful.

Around the age of five, my parents decided to try a handful of eardrum repair surgeries with paper grafts, and then a few Tympanoplasties. They were all unsuccessful so I went 10+ years with no eardrums! (This used to be my favorite fun fact growing up). I was deaf in my right ear for several years, & HoH in the other. Due to a slew of traumatic experiences in the repair process I swore off surgery for good.

I was happy the way I was and longed to be a part of a Deaf community. When I was 17 I started learning ASL and practicing day & night. I really struggled with my Deaf identity. I had grown up with a few deaf friends, but thought I wasn’t “as deaf”, therefore I was not Deaf enough.

My family began to express concerns for my overall health and encouraged me to check out options for another surgery. Of course, I said — haha NO. That’s when my (then) boyfriend, (now) husband sat me down and asked me to try one more time. I gave in.

I tried the surgery again in 2020, and it restored the hearing in my ear and was seemingly successful—for about a year before rupturing again. I woke up in the middle of the night and knew instantly. The stabbing pain in my ear and head, the throbbing and pulsating. It is quite genuinely the worst pain I’ve felt. I was alone in my new apartment at 2:00 a.m. less than a month before my junior year of University. I couldn’t move and just sat there unable to do anything. I texted my family ENT and was told I was being dramatic and it was only an ear infection. He said to take ibuprofen and I’d be fine. For reference, most people go to the ER for pain management & to have outpatient surgeries when this happens.

Sure enough, when I finally arrived at my check-up two weeks later, my eardrum had a sizeable tear and I in fact wasn’t being dramatic. I was furious. At this point, I had begun my journey to self-acceptance and had made friends in the ASL program. I knew sign somewhat proficiently and was attending a Deaf church. From then on I immediately booked a hearing aid appointment, got involved in the ASL club, and went on my way to establishing myself in my local Deaf community. I was sick of medical professionals telling me how to live my life. Telling me I wasn’t enough.

I met the most amazing Deaf & HoH ladies in the program that semester. I was given a sign name. I went and visited Gallaudet and the Signing Starbucks. There were SO many movie nights with interpreting students and Deaf ladies. It was absolutely perfect. I finally felt involved in a world accessible to me. From there I was determined to change the narrative for other women with all types of hearing loss. Within two weeks I met 7 deaf and Hard of Hearing women who thought they were alone and didn’t have accommodations. Just on our campus. All it took was dDeaf and HoH gals (and several sweet allies) wanting to change the narrative of hearing loss—and For The Deaf Girl was born.

Thank you for supporting this sweet community. If you liked this post, make sure to follow @simplyryien & @forthedeafgirl on Instagram!