"...He knew I'd be able to handle it."

A couple of times I've mentioned a Canadian woman I'll call "Natasha", who I met through the website TripAdvisor.com (an awesome traveler-to-traveler review and communications site) and who gave me some really good help in planning for our trip to Cuba. Well, it is a very small deaf-and-CI world indeed, as it turns out yet again, and when I mentioned that I was concerned about the electricity outlets and voltages in Cuba because I needed to recharge my CI batteries, she responded that she has a seven-year-old sister who was implanted as a young child.

This remarkable little girl dances, sings, plays the piano, and is at the top of her class in school, which just goes to highlight the benefits of early implantation. She is also incredibly perceptive. "Natasha" shared a couple of stories about her sister with me, and gave me permission to share them with you:

"One day we were talking about how God never forgets... I can't remember why... and my sister said 'Well God forgot to give me hearing'... then she went on to say 'Well maybe he didn't forget, maybe he had to give it to some people and he knew I'd be able to handle it'.... insightful for a 7 year old."

I'll say. And it certainly says a lot for this young lady's sense of self-confidence and her faith in her ability to "handle it" (not least, I'm sure, because of what sounds like a very supportive family).

"When she was younger, about 4, I had taken her swimming in the backyard. My neighbor started talking to me over the fence, and my sister yelled out 'Didi (means older sister in my language) can't hear you, I don't have my cochlear implant on!'... she was convinced that when her implant was off, no-one in the world could hear anything."

This story made me laugh, hard, out loud. I love what it says about young children's innnocent belief that they are the center of the universe or sort of control the world, not to mention neatly expressing how I often make the very same mistake when I am not wearing my processor! (Hmmm, can your belief that you are the center of the universe be innocent when you are 42? Anyway, it's an error that I make often enough for me to find the story very, very funny.)

"It was very cute." "Natasha" concludes. "She is amazing little girl."

She certainly sounds like one. Thank you for letting me share.

ronnie