Just Deaf

"Would he ever be able to hear music, or the rain beating against the window? That was quite important to me."

"At first, very small things could make me incredibly sad."

"It was really kind of a relief when we heard Emiel was deaf."

"Your first thought is: the world is ending. But it's not ending, another world just opens itself up."

"Our parents gave us confidence: you're great, just the way you are."

"We're religious, and I immediately noticed this having an effect on my faith."

"I love having a deaf child, that's hard to explain."

"Sometimes I feel belittled as a deaf person."

"They are unexpected, beautiful moments."

"Now that I see how happy they are, I worry a lot less."

"It's important for children to be able to be themselves."

"I think bonding and interacting with your child is the most important thing."

"You end up in this medical scene, I almost forget to enjoy having my child."

"The realization really hit us: we're responsible for this now."

"What can I do now?"

"The first year was very busy, so many appointments. We barely had time to enjoy it."