Did anyone catch “All My Children” today on TV? They have a storyline going on right now about a hearing baby who has suddenly become deaf as a result of being in a car accident. In light of the recent DBC (Deaf Bilingual Coalition) advocacy for deaf babies, I thought this program might be worth sharing.
I’m on vacation in San Diego right now and today was a down day from all our activities. My family hung out with fellow vlogger, and surfer, Jon Savage, and his family all day yesterday beginning with surfing lessons in the morning, continuing with the famous San Diego Zoo in the afternoon, and ending with a scrumptious Mexican meal near our condo in Encinitas, CA in the evening. (Video clips coming soon from both Jon and I, once my vacation is over.) The Zupp’s and Savage’s got along famously! Wonderful people and terrific new friends! More on that later…
Anyway, after all that activity, today was a laundry day and relaxing day. Nice to have a little down time. While folding laundry, I turned on my favorite soap opera, All My Children. It’s been a while since I’ve followed the storyline, but I was mesmerized today with the plot. Let me first give you a little background….
One of the main characters, Kendall Hart-Slater, has 2 sons, both born hearing. Ian is a pre-mature infant who is struggling to develop enough to come home from the hospital, and her other son, Spike, Ian’s half brother, is probably about 18 months old. Spike was kidnapped by Kendall’s so-called friend, Greenlee, who wanted to keep Spike as her own, since Kendall originally had Spike for Greenlee as her surrogate womb. (Yes, very soap-opera-ish, I know. 
)
Well, as Greenlee was driving away while Kendall was being rushed to the hospital in pre-mature labor, Greenlee had a change of heart and was turning around to bring Spike back. But as she did, she lost control of the car and crashed, sending her and baby Spike down the mountainside! Ohhhh nooooo……!!!
But Greenlee, who was badly injured herself, was able to get to her cell phone and she and Spike were rescued. However, Spike, who has physically recovered from most of his wounds, was left permanently DEAF.
That’s the background. So the plot continued today with the doctors announcing to Kendall and Spike’s father, Ryan and their respective spouses and families that baby Spike is now profoundly and permanently Deaf. What was fascinating to watch today was how this particular soap opera played out the sharing of this information with Spike’s parents. It made me wonder if this is how it usually goes down:
- The doctors deliver the sad, but factual truth (they play out the sorrow and how serious this loss is)
- The parents and families are devastated.
- The mother actually goes into denial and begins to say she wants second opinions and specialists who can “fix” her baby, before she finally breaks down, still unable to accept this news.
- The parents begin to grieve about the loss of everything they have each dreamed of for their child.
- The doctors then begin to deliver “hope” to the family by saying that there is something that might help. They introduce the idea of a Cochlear Implant.
- The doctors describe the surgery briefly and some family members react dramatically at the idea of such an invasive surgery for a child so young, while others begin to contemplate this idea in hopes to make the child as “normal” as possible in their view.
- The doctors continue to emphasize that the sooner they implant the child, and the younger the child is, the better the results are likely to be.
That’s where the storyline ended today. I encourage you all to watch this particular soap opera in the days to come and follow along to see where it leads. Only one character on that soap today mentioned something about there being “alternative ways to communicate with Spike.” But no mention of sign language yet. I wonder if there will be. I certainly hope so.
Tune in weekdays at 12 noon (Pacific time) on ABC (Channel 7 in most areas).
Let me know what you think.
(I know, I know…. I’m guilty. I’m hooked to this one soap! But I only watch it on my days off and in the summer when I’m not out surfing with Jon Savage! I’m glad I caught this story today.)
My name is LaRonda Zupp.
I am Deaf. Welcome to
"The Ear of My Heart."
LaRonda,
Thanks for sharing this!!!
Please contact Deafbilingual@gmail.com and give them your concern and anybody (Deafread.com readers) that have any concerns should contact Deafbilingual@gmail.com too.
DBC will be looking into this very closely and will be in contact with all of you via Deafread.com
John F. Egbert
Left by John F. Egbert on August 14th, 2007
Wow!
I haven’t been watching “all my children” for a long time, because I don’t like to watch that soap opera. I will have to watch that show at 1:00. I love to watch “Days of our lives” and “Passions” I will have to tivo “passions” because it starts at 1:00, So I can watch “all of my children”.
Thank you for letting us know about it.
Tamara
Left by Tamara on August 14th, 2007
Sounds like they are putting deafies “on the map”!
I am just wondering how people find the time to watch all of this stuff on t.v. Unless I make a list, I always forget!
Thank God for closed captioned so we have the opportunity to enjoy all of this. I thank my lucky stars everyday that I can watch the news, etc.
I have my 2 grand daughters here this week, so I am a little overwelmed, I guess.
Lantana
Left by Lantana on August 14th, 2007
[...] LaRonda’s blog: http://www.earofmyheart.com/wordpress/?p=268 [...]
Left by Mishka Zena » Blog Archive » Cochlear Implanted Actors on "All My Children" on August 14th, 2007
Looks like you guys are having a blast in San Diego visiting places and hanging out with the Savages and such. Will look forward to vids, etc. later.
Left by drmzz on August 14th, 2007
i am very interested in this story line as well (i’ve been watching AMC since i was 10). but, i am a bit put off by kendall’s reaction – she is very adamant that it’s going to be fixed and that her son is going to be able to hear. while i understand this is probably a normal maternal reaction, i hope they do not carry her attitude further than the first few weeks.
i just hope that they don’t make deafness out to be this horrible thing that spike can’t deal with. i like to think that people who are deaf consider themselves part of society, and no different than somebody who happens to speak another language. it seems like they are making out deafness to be something that people can’t deal with and that it is something that is going to ruin spike’s life. there is no doubt it will CHANGE his life, it’s not going to keep him from growing up a relatively normal boy.
but, knowing how AMC has dealt with other sensitive/hot topics in culture (homosexuality, transgenderism, etc.) they will handle this issue just as well as in the past.
sorry this got so long…
Left by danielle on August 16th, 2007
Hi I would like to say that my grandaughter was born deaf and we started with sign language before we knew about the implant and then once she got the implant at age 2 and she was talking we stopped sign language as was suggested by her implant language specialists. I’m sorry but it was devastating when we found out and we are thankful to God for the implant, and we have had a lot of opposition from the deaf community, as they don’t like the implants they just want people to stay deaf and use sign. I’m sorry I DON”T AGREE……
She just got her second ear implanted and is doing GREAT, THANK GOD…….
Left by Debbie on August 17th, 2007
I would also like to add to my entry that if you are considering a cochlear implant please check with Dr. Parisier at the NY eye & ear Infirmary, Manhattan,NY My grandaughter just had her second implant with them, and she is doing awsome, dancing and singing, and cheerleading and playing soccer, and a straight A student in a regular classroom, no speech problems. Can’t say enough about the implant and the Dr. and his staff.
Left by Debbie on August 17th, 2007
I am an ASL student and I liked Kendall up till this point. I can not stand the fact that she is acting like her Deaf son needs to be “fixed”, to the point that she is neglecting her “dying” son. I have a fondness for the Deaf community, I sort of see it as an exclusive club and I wish the sopa would make Kendall see things more lke Ryan does…. just my opinion…
Left by ailana on August 28th, 2007
one more thing, Days of Our Lives has a signer as well… i just saw it… I love that the soaps are showing more ASL because the Deaf community is a great part of our world and should be included more often as such.
Left by ailana on August 28th, 2007