I Am Deaf

• Charlie Helou, Grade 2, Condell Park Christian School
• Short Story
• 2021

Excellence Award in the 'The Write Note 2021' competition

When I was a baby, my mum found out that I was deaf. When I was 2 and my brother was 4 and half. We both had to go to the hospital for an operation. The operation was to put a Cochlear implant inside our head. When we woke up, we played games and my brother watch TV. We had a big bandage around our head. We also ate an ice block.
One month later we went to the Shepherd Centre they had to give me my new Cochlear and we had to switch them on. We had to go to the Shepherd Centre and learn how to talk every week. It was fun because we got to play games and because other people were like me.
When I went to kindergarten, I saw Mrs. Petris and she would help me with spelling, writing and how to say the words. Sometimes Mrs Petris would let me eat morning tea with her and let me play on her iPad.
In Kindergarten I Got a mini mic to help me to hear the teacher better and sometimes in the bathroom I can hear her and sometimes when she goes to another class, I can hear her. My friends sometimes ask me if the teachers are talking or not.
I found Year 1 hard but when I repeated, I found it pretty easy. Now I am in year 2. I find stuff easy and hard. The teacher puts games that are really fun for us and new games we can learn. Some games help us with our spelling.
For fun I do swimming and I have to wear these plastic things so my Cochlear don’t get wet. I make some friends that ask me what those things are on my head. Sometimes I say there nothing because I feel embarrassed to tell people and sometimes my friends tell the person what they are.
I also do acrobats and sometimes my Cochlears fall off. This is annoying because I always have to stop and pick it up. Sometimes my teachers say keep on going and they will pick it up for me. I like that because it helps me think that people care about me.
I feel very lucky that I can still hear people and I wouldn’t have to use sign language. I can lip read but don’t have to all the time.
The End