From Somalia to Minnesota: A new life for a woman with hearing loss

I'm from Somalia in East Africa; I grew up in North Somalia. I was born able to hear, and throughout most of my life I could hear. When I was 14 years old I began to have hearing loss and I don't know what caused it. I have an auditory neuropathy kind of hearing loss.

I went to many doctors and I didn't get any help. I dropped all my education because I couldn't hear anything. I didn't know any sign language and my whole family can hear and don't know sign language. I felt isolated and alone everywhere I went. I loved my education and when I became deaf I dropped out. Every few months I would go back to school and pay much money without learning anything because I couldn't hear and there was no sign language.

For five years I had no communication. I was communicating with gestures and universal sign language. I tried to hear what people were saying but I couldn't hear. I also tried to lip-read, but people wouldn't look at me while they talked, so their faces were looking the other way. It was too difficult to live in there. I even went to doctors without communication, with no writing and using sign language just to talk only.

After being depressed for so many years I came to the United Staes in 2008. I went to a deaf school and I started learning sign language and English, but my family still didn't learn except for my second oldest sister, who is ten years old. She can spell A-Z and knows a little ASL, but my mom communicates with my by writing my native language.

I'm happy in here and love my education; soon I'll go to college. Thanks to everyone who has supported me to change my life.

Photo by Bert Heymans (Creative Commons)

• That was Alxamdu Lillaah and Qadra Qaali walaal Alle ayaa kuugu bedeli doona wax aad jecleysato, Alle adoomadiisa marka uu meel ka qaado meel kale ayuu ugu saa, idiyaa. - by Shirshoore Axmed Ismaaciil on Fri, 12/14/2012 - 9:43am
• masha'allah ilahey sabarkada haku siyo walal - by Sami-mkuu Mamulahagabdhaha Ciyalka Xafada on Wed, 01/02/2013 - 10:47pm
• Beatiful article from a decent lady well dane and my allah gurauntee you a long full of hapiness life. - by Sûpêr Bõý Ôgstârs on Wed, 01/02/2013 - 11:22pm
• woow. Qadrooy, I know you can write a good English, and I can't wait to read more English stories authored by you. Nice story, and nice facebook page. - by Shariif Jaakoole on Sat, 01/05/2013 - 2:20pm