I am taking a break from posting about Marlee's journey to share with you about a special place. We were encouraged by our doctors to contact Memphis Oral School for the Deaf as it became evident that Marlee's hearing loss was quickly progressing. Maybe you have heard of this school. I had. In fact, while in college pursuing a degree in education, I became very interested in working with deaf children. I made plans to get my graduate degree in speech and language pathology. In preparation, I began observations at Memphis Speech and Hearing and Memphis Oral School for the Deaf (MOSD). While I did not continue on this path (I fell in love with the regular classroom during student teaching), I now know that The Lord was preparing me for what he had prepared for me.
As a college student listening to the audiologist at MOSD explain the equipment used to detect hearing loss, I could never in a million years have imagined that I would spend a combined 18 hours holding my baby as she was hooked up to that machine. I could not have known that my little girl would be one of the preschoolers with a processor behind her ear and magnet on her head sitting sweetly in a semi-circle learning to listen to the teacher. I could not have known, but The Lord knew. That is how much he loves us. He loved me enough to prepare my heart. I guess because he knows I am not one for surprises :), he was giving me a frame of reference for all we would go through with Marlee. He was also giving me a love for the place that will play a huge role in Marlee's journey to hearing.
This past January when we were fairly certain Marlee would lose all of her hearing, Greg and I toured MOSD. We questioned whether we were going too soon as our grief was still so new, but we left that day with hope and a new perspective.
Marlee has been recieving some services at MOSD since February. She will begin going to school there full time next July and will continue until she is ready for kindergarten. I will be sharing much more about this school that already has such a special place in my heart because it will have an incredible impact on Marlee's life.
We go to MOSD this Friday for more testing and for Marlee's grandparents to see the school. I know they will leave with the same hope we felt when we first toured. I am grateful we live near this school. The faculty and staff will love her and teach her. It is a happy place, yet after driving by recently, Greg texted me a picture of the school and said he tears up a little every time he drives by. I know what he means. We would have never chosen for Marlee to need to go to Memphis Oral School for the Deaf, but she will go there. We did not choose this story for Marlee's life, but we know that MOSD will be a very important chapter in her story. And from someone who loves school, I am excited about this chapter.
Wondering about the title of this blog? Well, here's a little Christmas in July for you. This was Memphis Oral School's Christmas card. Enjoy the "sounds" of the season.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tGZUloH1nT4
Want to know more about MOSD? Here is the link. I hope to get the link permanently on my blog (but I have to learn how to do that first!)
http://www.mosdkids.org/
No comments:
Post a Comment