I grew up being bullied because i had a different hearing aid to the deaf children. let me take you through the journey. i went deaf at the age of 2 years and 9 months. and the ordinary hearing aids werent powerful enough for me that i heard zilch. A brand new device became available in the north of England called a cochlear implant. I became the first child in the north to get it done…. because i was the first it wasnt accepted in the deaf community, also the teachers had no ideas how to deal with me.
not being able to talk as well as signing at school, i was confused by my identity I am deaf but dont fit in with the deaf community because of having a cochlear implant, i am not hearing because i am deaf…
I attended a mainstream school, and struggled for my whole time at school, constantly being put down, constantly being made feel worthless, constant bullying, name calling, and school wasnt interested in stopping it. I left school with 7 GCSE’S done myself proud defined every saying i was told… deaf people cant achieve, your a waste of living being.
i went on to college and achieved more qualifications, i attended a deaf drama group, and loved it, i got a job, the achievements i did is bloody amazing and awesome…. i am a normal person.. in my 20’s i was hit hard in the face, facing visual problems. the fear got hold of me, slowly and surely, i rolled up my sleeves and adapted again, this time with both hearing and vision i had to work on my listening skills with the cochlear, and upgraded my processor which gave me more.
August 2017, i bacame a professional actor and i studied with NSA Northern Star Acting, not only am i studying, applying for jobs, i have made my first film I Need a Sign, i have other projects lined up, more films and Yesterday i gave a talk to an audience of proffessionals on blindness and me, RP fighting blindness, teenage years to now. it was absolutely amazing, meeting people who can relate to me, i had the audience in tears, my journey as a whole has been a difficult one.
for me, the sky is the limit now, with everything i have achieved, and the projects that is to come as well is Amazing, due to the unknown cause of my blindness, i have a bucket list that i want to complete as much as i can.