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Show Review - Wednesday, Juno 20, 1984 - Page 12 Wilson family turns challenge tojHcan ,'4bn lweas sto csomeiwnith mgy own little and be able to rap would never walk and would have to spend most of her life strapped to a chair. Rex wouldn't settle for that He took over that part of the care of Cindy as it was so painful for Cindy that her mother couldn't do it. "I missed a muscle in her hand," he said. "You can see it hasn't developed as it should." He pointed to the muscle close to her thumb on both hands, and added, "You can't retrain ears to hear." I had the feeling that if anyone could have, it would have been Mr. Wilson. He had already accomplished the impossible. Cindy walks and talks, reads lips beautifully, and has a special twinkle in her eye that reflects the love so freely given her from her family. Cindy's brother, Tom, married Cindy's best friend who is profoundly deaf, and they have three beautiful sons and one daughter, perfectly healthy and well. "If children came to play with Cindy's two brothers, the brothers wouldn't agree to play unless Cindy could be included," Mrs. Wilson offered. "As they grew older they would leave notes for her asking for a bowling date, or to join them in other activities. After the initial shock, Cindy has brought nothing but blessings to our family. We are so lucky to have her," Mrs. Wilson concluded. "I am lucky," Cindy says. Cindy is lucky to have learned how to speak as well as use sign language. This broadens her world immensely. She will have worked at Bayly Manufacturing for ten years this July 1. She also has daughter." Cindy was secretary for the MIA for seven years, five of it with Marcella Walker who was MIA Preident "We would stand at the blackboard with our backs turned giving a lesson," Marcella tells me. "Cindy couldn't see our lips move so we soon learned to sit in a circle so she could understand what was being said. Then it was hard for her to follow who was speaking so we learned to hold up our hand when we were going to speak to help her stay with us. We take a lot of things for granted in our world and it was this experience with such a special girl as Cindy that opened my eyes to the struggles of the deaf." Cindy has also served in the Provo 45th Branch for four years in the Relief Society Presidency and three years as homemaking leader. She will go to conference an hour early so she can get a front row seat and hopefully , words that are S?; Cmdy, with hJS karned to playSu Christmas" Lt7k? Playing the aaJt,S mother how SJjij she was playing different i --eWyhermoCia so surprint11 "I thought aK5.? same." "The spirit is nn j WUsonsays.-ho- l, spmt to spirit and hS Perhaps more the happiness T ,mk Wilson home usTi SJS communication, Bpirifi!! heart to heart. (Editor's note: problems of the deafl,S studied accounting words a minute. Cindy has had difficulty finding a job as employers have been hesitant to hire a d person. She applied for her first job as a motel maid, just for summer work. Not thinking that it was important she only noted that she was deaf. They pointed out that she had falsified the report as she had some hand coordination problem and would not hire her. As she has listed d on other applications she was not considered for employment Cindy would like to do office work or accounting but feels that perhaps no one will ever give her an opportunity. She was highest in her class in Advanced Algebra. Cindy attended school six years longer than most deaf children because she wanted a regular graduation diploma, not just the usual certificate that is awarded. She also attended early morning Seminary for six years. "It takes these children longer to achieve a diploma because of lack of communication," Mrs. Wilson explained, "not because of lack of intelligence." She also expressed her appreciation to the marvelous teachers that taught Cindy. "They are truly caring people," she said. However, the controversy of whether to teach deaf children sign language or oralism is hurting the children, in her estimation. "If Cindy had only learned to sign she would have never tried to talk. Now she tries and she does well," she explained. "I believe in both. Cindy and my daughter-in-law- , TeddiAnn, can say more in three minutes with sign language than I can say in an hour. I think it is ridiculous that the child loses because of the conflict between the two systems. I think they need to weave them together into one system that benefits the child most. Parents don't even get a say in the decision, a panel decides which system is to be used." The Wilsons are pleased that in the past ten years deaf people are coming into their own. So much, too much of the time in the past, deaf people were looked down upon as the expression, "deaf and dumb" imnlips. By GWEN PETERSON Cindy Wilson, a tall, lovely young lady, was enthusiastic about showing me her needlepoint work, her spoon collection from many states and countries, and her TTY, a teletype module that transfers calls in from the telephone. I was enthusiastic to leam more about Cindy and how she has handled the challenge of being deaf. Cindy lives at 1250 E. 440 South and is the daughter of Rex J. and Lena Wilson, of Pleasant Grove. "Most people graduate from school so they can leave home," Cindy tells me, "But I worked hard to graduate so I could come home." Mrs. Wilson shared with me the heart-wrenchin- experience of having to leave her little daughter at the deaf school in Ogden that first day. The little girl, not being able to hear or speak, and crying to stay with her mother. Then every week for fifteen years taking her there on Monday morning and not picking her up until Friday afternoons. "Things were different 25 years ago," she said. "Now deaf children can attend public schools." She also confided to me that the problem had begun when Cindy was only a month old. She had changed the baby and laid her down to come back three hours later and find that she had been bleeding from the navel most of that time. They rushed her to the doctor who said she had lost so much blood she was barely alive. The part of the brain had died that controlled her muscles, and later it was surmised that she had lost her hearing at this time also. Cindy had seven blood transfusions that first month and Mrs. Wilson had to weigh her before and after feeding to be sure she was getting enough food. The baby never cried, she didn't have enough strength to make her needs known, so her mother had to set an alarm clock so she would wake up and feed her. At seven months Cindy could only suck, open and shut her eyes and smile. It would be a year before she could hold her head up. Cindy's father took special training so he could work with Cindy and help retrain muscles to work. They were told that Cindy rn ; - ". v. " v- - - " V". '" V t jf. l Yf Y t r VT Amm. ' - j .V .'.V.- - V! : '' . - 3; Ifaa V. I Communicating with other deaf friends and associates via the portable TTY has opened new vistas for Cindy Wilson. "We had a shoemaker in our town many years ago who was deaf," Mr. Wilson relates, "When we needed our shoes fixed we were told, take them to the dummy. He will fix them. The true meaning of the word is correct, but through the years the meaning of the word has been changed and now has a derogatory meaning." "When I was 12 I had two little friends visit me from California," Mrs. Wilson relates. "They neglected to tell me the one little girl was deaf. When I went to meet them I heard the most awful noises coming from upstairs. The little girl hadn't been taught to use her voice to speak, just to use it to make sounds. We grew very close. We became the best of friends. I feel the Lord helped prepare me for what I ( "V , , I "s 4 ' i , ' - ' - ' .''-- . i t i ' ; Is' W-,.'- ? '' - . . - 2 ... I " ' v. y 'A1 ' ' n? ' . Cindy Wilson, a 10-ye- ar employee with Bayly's in Pleasant Grove, finds it an interesting challenge to learn new on-the-j- skills. ." DUFF SHELLEY MOWER & CYCLE 755.5 Jjt gram l FS-80- jVj j, Underpowered trimmers jusr!. ot won't cut it when you're up 'Jp s against heavy weeds and U10 T?V pic brush. That's when you need a IP ITl TjII, ll; StihIFS-SOEBrushcutterwi- th arrpnnrl 'p a high-powere- d engine and ex- - accessory pa J elusive Polycut" head. When MOray aw you have work to do, don't vdiutj w play around. Get a Stihl when VOU mention E Brushcutter. And get the job H" done. See a demonstration at: this ad. M DUFF SHELLEY Is MOWER & CYCLE Utah County's largest power equipment dealer. scr; 260 E. Main, American Fork, 756-502- 7 fe THE WORLD'S LARGEST SELLING CHAIN $AW Ti r D Tri-Cit- y Golf Course J Men's & Women's Association Would Like To Thank The Following For Their Support Of The 5th Annual I - 5:30 Merchants Tournament miti, Tuit Devey's Laney's 5 Smith Drug Reams 3 Steve Peterson Interiors Jack & Jill Bowling r McDonalds Gene Harvey Chevrolet ( Roberts Barratt Builders Walker Oil Company Holley Auto Wasatch Bank, P.G. American Savings Wasatch Bank, Lehi Mountainland Plumbing Smith Drug, A.F. Tri-Cit- y Ford Christensen's, A.F. Duff Shelley Cash's Western Auto, Lehi Fakler Tire Ray's Taylor Drug, A.F. Robinson-Wilso- n Realty Golden Corral Raiy Tar & chemical em Dru2 Savage Western Ind. Western Tack and Tog Jeff Adams Granite Beef 0rem Golf Verns Conoco Supreme Entertainment Robert McArthur, P.G.A. Pro. Italian Place Jimmy Thompson, P.G.A. Pro. Alpine Printing, Lehi To extend our gratitude we would encourc;9 r your support of these local businesses.J x 1 A Beautiful Baby Pictures T for Ho. Utoh Co. Picture Pageant 0 Sr One 5x7 entry per child CATEGORIES: vX No snapshots 2 months ILjfX No frames 13-2- 4 months I I L I 25-3- 6 months VlS 18 lucky winners wi" be notified before Monday' Juy 16 V be crownecl' Pictures taken and $800 in prizes awarded. Place name, age in months, phone number, and address on back of 5x7 picture and enclose $3.00 check donation payable to American Caner Society and mail to: T. Reynolds - P.O. Box 337 - American Fork, Utah 84003 - Entry deadline, July 12 IX w bring in person to: - 337 Donna Larsen American Fork, Utah 84003 355 500 So Entry deadline, July 12 American Fork' Pictures will be displayed during Steel Days in Chipman Building, downtown Am. Fork Donna - 756-269- 3 Pictures can be picked up Questions Call: Reta - 756-318- 5 July 27th and 28th between 2-- 7 p.m. at Cindy 756-825- 4 365 So- - . American Fork, Utah |