Montana Campus Corps:
College Students Meeting Critical Community Needs
jpeterson
Joined:
08 Dec 2009
Posts: 1
|
 Posted: 08/15/2010 at 04:40 AM Post subject: A girl named Pip |
|
|
Being a part of Missoula Children's Theatre you work with hundreds of kids across the country. Putting a play up with 50 to 60 local kids in one single week, every week, for an entire year. Many of the kids it's a positive place for them to be, to put their focus into a new area. For some it's just a fun week of recreation. For a large group though it can be one of the most memorable weeks they have all year.
This story is about a girl named Pip. Pip was born deaf. At an early age she was a candidate to acquire a Cochlear implant. Cochlear implants sit above the ear and are wired into the brain creating a "electronic ear." Although I don't know the entire science around it, kids who were deaf can now hear. If the implant is given at a very early age the child's brain learns how to use the device and can effectively hear. It's not perfect hearing but enough to make out most speech. I'm somewhat familiar with Cochlear implants because I volunteered in high school at the Idaho school for the deaf and blind, working with 5-7 year olds learning sign language from them. I never thought I would use my limited sign language again till I met Pip.
Pip was at our audition with the biggest eyes I have seen on any human being. She wore an old thrift store coat that was too big for her 9 year old body, and buried in her blond hair was a Cochlear implant. Gathering the kids in a circle we went around asking for names and how old each child was. Coming up to Pip I signed "what is your name" and her face lit up like a light bulb. She was to excited to communicate in sign language that I had to slow her down because I just couldn't understand half of what she was signing to me. I gave her a quick "We'll talk later, Audition now" and she nodded with a large smile.
Needless to say she made the show. Working with her all week she was a doll, always attentive, eager to please, and super excited to be a part of this show. My tour partner and I would drive to the high school for rehearsals and everyday we saw 9 year old Pip walking along in the snow from the elementary to the high school. Very dedicated to making it to rehearsal on time.
All week long we taught her songs, dances, and got her ready for our show. Always so well behaved and focused, and delighted in me; her new friend to sign with. Part of the being in a show is staying silent backstage. Pip and I started teaching all the cast members some basic Sign language so they could communicate "silently" backstage during the show. Pip went from being the weird girl who couldn't quite understand what people was saying, to the teacher, and the envy of all the cast. After our week we said our goodbyes and Pip said thankyou for the best Missoula Week she had ever had.
For the most part I thought I just had made another child have a typical happy, memorable week, until I met with our contact after the show. She told me that I will never know how much I have done for that girl. Pip is very isolated at school, she is still trying to learn to use her implant and can't communicate with many of the kids. The fact that I could sign to her meant the world to her. When we took it a huge step further and taught the cast sign language it opened the world for her. She wasn't handicapped anymore, she was special because she could hear and sign. I didn't realize what we did till we left, we didn't put on a play we helped a lonely little girl make three dozen friends. The girl named Pip.
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
