Raising Teresa

By Terry Gasaway and Don Hensley Jr

Raising Teresa: My Extraordinary Journey with My Deaf Daughter takes the reader on a an emotional roller coaster as a dad tells the story of raising his deaf daughter in a hearing world. From learning to communicate with her to teaching her to drive, he is there for every peak and every valley. Now, 37 years later, Terry shares his story with the world, hoping that others, who may find themselves on a similar path with only questions and fears to keep them company, may take comfort in knowing they are not alone.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Terry Gasaway
• Release date: Feb 10, 2022
• ISBN: 9780578261942

Terry Gasaway

46 year Audio/Video Specialist and founder of TDG Systems, LLC, retired in 2018.The book "Raising Teresa" is from a journal I kept for over 30 years about my part in raising my deaf daughter after a bout with Spinal Meningitis at 17 months old leaving her deaf. Then at 26 months of age, back in the hospital with type 1 diabetes.

Book preview

FIRST EDITION

Copyright   2021

By Terry Gasaway with Don Hensley Jr.

Published in the United States of America

By Rounding Third Publishers, LLC

1161 Michigan St., Bellefontaine, OH 43311

All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except for brief passages included in a review appearing in a newspaper or magazine.

ISBN: 978-0-578-26194-2

Cover and book designed by Steve Smith

Printed by 48 Hour Books

Table of Contents

Section 1 – The Early Years

Chapter 1 - Starting a Family

Chapter 2 - The Day Our Lives Changed Forever

Chapter 3 - Alive, But Deaf

Chapter 4 - Facial Expressions Mean Everything

Section 2 – Grade School Years

Chapter 5 - Challenges & Smiles

Chapter 6 - Decisions, Decisions

Chapter 7 - They Said What?

Section 3 – High School Years

Chapter 8 - Teresa Teaches Me a Lesson

Chapter 9 - More School Choices

Chapter 10 - Driving Me Crazy

Section 4 – College Years

Chapter 11 - Off to College We Go

Chapter 12 - One Crazy Problem After Another

Chapter 13 - A World Opens Up

Chapter 14 - Time to Graduate

Section 5 – Adulthood

Chapter 15 - All Grown Up

EPILOGUE

by Teresa Gasaway

Special Thanks

Notes

INTRODUCTION

Some people write out of passion, others because their imagination runs wild. For me, it’s about sharing with others the incredible journey we have taken as a family. I hope that others, who may find themselves on a similar path with only questions and fears to keep them company, may take comfort in knowing they are not alone.

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From the day Teresa was born, it has been a wonderful, joyous, painful journey. Today, my daughter is a loving, wonderful wife and mother.

But how we got here, well that’s the story.

Teresa was like every other baby. She was bubbly, chunky and she stole the hearts of everyone she came in contact with – simply put, she was perfect.

However, at 17 months, our world was rocked when she contracted pneumococcal meningitis. Without providing reams of medical and science background, pneumococcal meningitis is a life-threatening disease that causes inflammation of the layers, or meninges, that surround the brain and spinal cord, and help protect against injury and infection.

If the meninges become infected, the blood vessels in the lining of the brain become damaged. This allows bacteria to break through and infect the cerebrospinal fluid. The meninges then become inflamed, and the pressure around the brain can cause nerve damage.

This rare disease often occurs in babies and young children, with about one in five cases resulting in death. For those who survive, the disease can cause severe and disabling after-effects. Simply put, our baby wasn’t even two years old ... and we were scared as hell.

As if this grim diagnosis wasn’t enough, doctors discovered that she had also contracted a secondary osteomyelitis infection in her two upper neck vertebrae.

On two different occasions, we almost lost her.

It’s only because of the tremendous determination and brilliance of so many doctors, nurses, and staff — people who were willing to use whatever medical means necessary —that Teresa is alive today. Many of the names escape me, but their faces never will.

Dr. Powell was the director of the infectious disease unit at Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and Dr. Kees was Teresa’s doctor. They stand out because of the many times I looked into their faces praying for just a glimmer of hope.

While they were able to save my daughter, it came with a heavy price. The illness left her profoundly deaf in both ears, and physically palsied, which caused balance issues. It took months of intense physical therapy before she was able to walk again.

There were times when it felt like more than we could handle, but we relied on the strength of each other and fought through it as a family.

Then just as we were trying to adjust to our new normal, we had to rush her back to Children’s Hospital, this time with a blood sugar level of 920 and a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes.

A nurse and a medical intern told us that her body may have stopped producing insulin as an autoimmune response from the severe infection, or maybe it was the overwhelming amount of Penicillin G she received every day for two weeks in order to battle the meningitis.

The year was 1985, well before the internet, so our access to information was limited. What I did know was that my baby girl was deaf and diabetic, and my world was about to change in ways I never could have imagined.

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Thirty-five years have gone by like a snap of the fingers. Teresa is now 37, and despite being dealt such a terrible hand, she amazes me daily. Her drive and commitment to live a normal life is an inspiration.

The following story comes from a journal I kept for more than three decades.

I certainly don’t mean to minimize the incredible sacrifice and commitment of my wife, Kathy. She has always been our rock, and she was just as determined as I was to get all the treatments, rehabilitation and care available to our daughter. It took all we had mentally, emotionally and financially. The two of us spent many long days with doctors, hearing and speech specialists, and other healthcare professionals. We weren’t perfect, but we did the best we could.

Many questions that hounded us in Teresa’s younger years are now answered. While she still struggles with her diabetes, and still gets frustrated trying to communicate in the hearing world, I am in awe at how she continues to elevate her life.

This is Teresa’s story, told by a loving dad, who was there for every step of the journey. Sometimes I was in the game with her; sometimes I was watching from life’s sidelines. But one thing is for certain, I was always there cheering ... hoping ... and praying.

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CHAPTER 1

Starting a Family

Like all good stories,

this one starts with

a love affair.

I first met Kathy in middle school. Well, we didn’t meet exactly, but I saw her for the first time. We passed in the hallway, and I think I sprained my neck trying to get a good look at her. She was wearing a white blouse, green and navy plaid skirt, blue knee socks and penny loafers. That image will forever be engrained in my memory. It was love at first sight — well at least for me — because Kathy didn’t even know I existed.

We officially met in the ninth grade. At that time, my girlfriend was Kathy’s best friend Candy. The three of us would walk home from school together. Candy lived closest, so on the way home, we would drop her off first, and then I would walk Kathy home. It was a mile or so longer for me, but I didn’t care; I was smitten.

After ninth grade, we went to different high schools. We would cross paths, but it wasn’t until I was 22 that the girl of my dreams entered my life for good.

I was substituting for a neighbor in his bowling league. I hated bowling, but the guy was in a pinch. I got there early and decided to get a drink at the bar to calm my nerves. I felt a tap on my shoulder, and when I turned around, there stood Candy from middle school.

She pointed out the girls she was bowling with, and right away I saw Kathy. I worked my way around the group with small talk before finally settling next