Rena Adler- In class essay #1

Upon reading an article in the February 2008 edition of the Reader’s Digest on the only deaf and blind triplet girls, a lasting imprint was made. The article, an anecdote involving day to day difficulties which ensue in raising three deaf- blind children, as well as the hardships and immense distress felt by the triplets themselves, touched my heart. In addition, the added financial hardships in addition to the stress in finding a “miracle worker”, or intervener, for each triplet are of nearly unimaginable magnitude.

In the article, the many hardships involved in caring for these children were elaborated upon. The triplet’s parents divorced, although their mother later remarried to a man who became a devoted father to the triplets, and the hassles of daily life were magnified to an almost inconceivable degree. Just sending the triplets to a special school each morning was an enormous pressure. The triplets found everyday tasks taxing and, although of average intelligence, due to their handicaps, could not easily recognize normal seven- year- old behavior. For instance, the author writes how one of the triplets actually took to sleeping in a toy chest rather than, as most children, a bed.

While reading of the needs and hardships of the triplets, the article’s author reminds one of Helen Keller and her inability to express herself or understand the dark world in which she was enveloped, until a “miracle worker” in the form of Anne Sullivan came and allowed Helen to, in a sense, open her eyes. Like Helen, the triplets remained in a quiet and dark world. One triplet, Zoe, would punch herself as a way of expressing her frustrations, until she was sent an intervener, similar to Anne Sullivan, who was able to truly work miracles with her. However, to find a “miracle worker” was both costly and difficult, and ideally, each triplet needed her own intervener.

After seeing the amazing effects an intervener had on Zoe, in an incredible display of giving and kindness, the triplet’s parents did not think only about their family. Rather, they thought of all deaf and blind children who remain trapped in darkness due to the inordinate costs of an intervener. In a truly inspiring manner, on top of their busy and extremely hectic lives, the triplet’s parents set up a fund to raise money for deaf- blind children everywhere.

I was truly touched by the triplet’s story and the astounding emotional strength held by the triplet’s parents. Reading their story left me with a sudden urge to do something to help children like these. Additionally, I was able to truly appreciate menial everyday tasks which I am able to perform with ease. I believe I was particularly touched due to an incident where my friends and I spent an entire Saturday in the company of a blind couple. When I watched the way this couple was able to use their other senses to compensate for their lack of sight, I felt feelings of immense respect toward them. That Saturday, I saw a glimpse of the praiseworthy ways in which this blind couple was able to conduct themselves. Not only did they display a joyous countenance, but they looked to see how they could make us, as guests, feel more comfortable.

Although one cannot compare difficulties of an individual who is both blind and deaf to someone who is just blind, when reading the article on the triplets, my thoughts went back to this awe- inspiring blind couple and their incredible ability to take life, with all its difficulties, as it comes. Knowing how well they were able to adjust, even with their lack of sight, led me to realize that the triplets too could exit their world of darkness.


To read more about the triplets, visit the Reader’s Digest website at: http://www.rd.com/stories/everyday-miracles/hope-for-deafblind-triplets-light-in-the-dark/article.html

Upon re-reading the Reader's Digest article entitled “Hope for Deaf- Blind Triplets; Light in the Dark”, by Kenneth Miller, I found that I was able to recall most of the article’s details with precision. I feel I remembered more facts about Miller’s article than I would have retained had the piece been on a different subject, as I found the article both thought- provoking and fascinating. I was, however, unable to remember certain details, such as the article’s title and author’s name, which I feel is due to the fact that while reading the piece, my focus was not upon minute details, but rather upon the emotional, moving and awe- inspiring aspects of the article, including the ways in which both the triplets and their parents deal with daily hardships involved in the lives of the handicapped.