Die lewe as gestremde....

Mej. Dowe SA

Wat is jou naam, van en ouderdom?

Vicki Fourie, 27 jaar oud.

Vertel my bietjie meer oor jouself, waarvan jy hou, jou stokperdjies ens.

Ek is gebore in Bloemfontein, het vanaf die ouderdom van 6-15 skoolgegaan by Lifestyle Christian Academy in Worcester. Toe trek ons weer terug Bloem toe. Ons het sowat 1 jaar terug verhuis na Johannesburg.

Stokperdjies: Lees, swem, stap en inkleur.

Wat se tipe gestremdheid het jy?                   

Ek het 97% gehoorverlies. In 2013 het ek ‘n kogleere inplanting gekry in my regteroor, en in 2015 het ek ‘n inplanting in die linkeroor gekry. Dus kan ek nou ongeveer 80% hoor in albei ore.

Op watter ouderdom het jy hierdie gestremdheid gekry en hoe?

Ek het op 6 maande koors gekry. Op die ouderdom van 2 het ek nog nie begin praat nie, en toe doen die dokter ‘n breinstam-toets. Dit het bevestig dat ek het 97% gehoorverlies.

Hoe behandel jou vriende en familie jou en aanvaar hulle jou soos jy is?

My familie het my van kleins af geleer en gehelp om lippe te lees, en ek het geleer hoe om soos ‘n horende persoon te praat. Dus het ek nooit eintlik gevoel ek is anders nie. Ek was altyd deel van die familie, het altyd gedink ek is normaal.

Soms op skool het ek alleen gevoel, veral wanneer ek nie verstaan het wat gaan aan in groot groepe nie. Maar vandag het ek goeie vriende wat volwasse genoeg is om my te help en te ondersteun waar hulle kan.

Hoe behandel  vreemde mense jou?

Vreemdelinge kom nie altyd agter dat ek gehoorverlies het nie, omdat ek so duidelik kan praat. Maar soms is daar misverstande, veral wanneer ek nie altyd verstaan wat die persoon vir my wil se nie. Hulle is dan ongeduldig en ongeskik met my. Ek maak seker dat my gesindheid mooi bly, ongeag van andere se gesindheid teenoor my. Net omdat iemand lelik is met my beteken dit nie ek moet ook lelik wees nie. Ek glimlag, prober my bes om dit uit te sort en wanneer ek wegloop maak ek ‘n punt daarvan om dit te vergeet en aan te beweeg.

Veroorsaak jou tipe gestremdheid dat jy permanent hulp nodig het?

Ek dra elke dag my kogleere inplantings, maar verder is daar geen permanente hulp wat ek benodig nie.

Soms moet ek familie en vriende vra om my te help met foon oproepe, maar verder kommunikeer ek per sms en epos.

Hoe voel jy daaroor om nou van hulp afhanklik te wees,waar dit  vroeёr  nie nodig was nie?

Ek het grootgeword met my gehoorverlies, so dit was nog altyd deel van my lewe. Toe ek die inplantings gekry het het dit my net nog meer onafhanklik gemaak. Daarvoor is ek ongelooflik dankbaar. Dit het my ‘n groot hupstoot in die lewe gegee.

Hoe voel jy oor dit wat jy vroeёr  kon doen en nou nie meer kan doen nie?(bv.kuns , sport ens)

Nie van toepassing nie.

Het jy ‘n “plaasvervanger”  belangstelling  of  “hobby” gekry in die plek van die dinge wat jy  nie meer kan doen nie?

Nie van toepassing nie.

Hoe voel jy oor jou gestremdheid?

As kind het ek nie regtig ‘agtergekom’ ek is anders nie. Op hoerskool was ek ‘n bietjie kwaad, alleen en gefrustreerd. Ek het geleer hoe om deur dit te werk, en dit het my net nog sterker gemaak. Vandag is ek vervuld met wie ek is en waar ek is in die lewe. Ek is oneindig dankbaar oor alles en almal wat om my is.

My gestremdheid is nie die kern van wie ek is as mens nie. Dit is net iets waarmee ek elke dag moet lewe, maar dit bepaal nie my geluk nie.

Watter woord beskryf jou gevoel die beste ten opsigte van jou gestremdheid? (kwaad, hartseer, aanvaarding, uitdaging, ens)

‘n Lewe vol uitdagings maar ook vol genade en seeninge in oorvloed.

Wat het jy oor jouself  geleer wat jy andersins nooit sou leer as jy nie gestrem was nie?

Dat ek is baie sterker is as wat wat ek gedink het ek is. Dat daar mooi is in seerkry, hartseer wees en alleenwees. Dit forseer jou om uit te vind wie jy is, wat jou identiteit is (en ek het myne in my verhouding met God gekry). Die lewe is moeilik – elkeen van ons het uitdagings, maar die dag wanneer ons uitvind dat dit sal ons nie doodmaak nie – dit is die dag wat vryheid, vrede en rustigheid in ‘n mens se hart kom.

Het jy hoop om genees te word van jou gestremdheid/siekte?

Ek sal ongelukkig nie 100% genees kan word van gehoorgestremdheid nie. Dit sal net ‘n wonderwerk vat – iets wat net God alleen kan doen.

Glo jy dat daar dalk ‘n groter doel is met jou  gestremdheid as net bloot die feit dat jy nou nie meer “normal” kan funksioneer nie?

Ja, daar is altyd ‘n groter doel en ‘n groter prentjie met alles. As dit nie was vir my gehoorgestremdheid nie, sou ek nie Mej Dowe SA gewen het nie, oorsee gegaan het en Mej Dowe Internasionaal 1ste prinses gewen het nie, twee boeke geskryf het nie, talle artikels en rubrieke in tydskrifte en koerante gepubliseer het nie, en motiveringsspreker geword het nie. Met my praatjies het ek al meer as 200 optredes gedoen die laaste 5 jaar. Dit is meer 500,000 mense wat aangeraak is deur my storie van inspirasie en dapperheid en durf.

Al hierdie dinge sou nie gebeur het as dit nie was vir my gehoorverlies nie.

As jy “ja” geantwoord het op bg vraag, wat is volgens jou die doel daarvan…….?

Sien vorige antwoord.

Glo jy dat jou lewe as gestremde dalk vir ander (gestremd of nie-gestremd) ‘n inspirasie kan wees?

Beslis. Ek het geen twyfel daaroor.

Miss. Deaf SA

What is your name and age?

Vicki Fourie, 27 years old.

Tell me a little about yourself, what you like, your hobbies etc.

I was born in Bloemfontein, aged 6-15 attended school at Lifestyle Christian Academy in Worcester. We moved back to Bloemfontein and about a year ago we moved to Johannesburg.

Hobbies: Reading, swimming, hiking and colouring.

What kind of disability do you have?

I have 97% hearing loss. In 2013 I received a cochlear implant in my right ear, and in 2015 I received an implant in my left ear. So I can now hear about 80% in both ears.

At what age did you get this disability and how?

I got a fever when I was only 6 months. At the age of 2, I have not started to talk, and when the doctor done a brainstem test, it was confirmed that I had 97% hearing loss.

How does your friends and family treat you and do they accept you as you are?

My family taught me from an early age and helped me to read lips, and I learned how to talk like a hearing person. So I never really felt I was different. I was part of the family, always thought I was normal.

Sometimes at school I felt alone, especially when I do not understand what's going on in large groups. But today I have good friends who are mature enough to help me and support wherever they can.

How do strangers treat you?

Strangers do not always realize that I have hearing loss, because I can speak so clearly. But sometimes there are misunderstandings, especially when I do not understand what the person are saying to me. They are then impatient and rude to me. I make sure that my attitude is always positive, regardless of other people's attitude towards me. Just because someone is ugly to me it does not mean I have to be rude. I smile, tries my best to sort it out, and when I walk away I make a point of it to forget it and move on.

Do you need permanent help because of your disability?

I wear my cochlear implants every day, but other than that there is no permanent help I need.

Sometimes I ask family and friends to help me with phone calls, but otherwise I communicate via SMS and email.

How do you feel about being dependent on aids, where previously it was not necessary?

I grew up with my hearing loss, so it has always been part of my life. When I got the implants it just made me more independent. For that I am incredibly grateful. It gave me a huge boost in life.

How do you feel about your disability?

As a child, I did not really realize 'I'm different. In high school I was a little angry, lonely and frustrated. I learned how to work through it. Today I am comfortable with who I am and where I am in life. I am eternally grateful for everything and everybody around me.

My disability is not the core of who I am as a person. It's just something I have to live with, but it does not determine my happiness every day.

Which word describes best how you feel in terms of your disability? (Angry, sad, acceptance, challenge, etc.)

A life full of challenges but also full of grace and blessings in abundance.

What have you learned about yourself that you otherwise would never learned if you were not disabled?

I am much stronger than I thought I was. That is nice to be in pain, sadness and loneliness. It forces you to find out who you are, what your identity is (and I got mine in my relationship with God). Life is hard - we all have challenges, but the day we find out that it will not kill us - it is the day that freedom, peace and tranquillity found in a person's heart.

Do you hope to be cured of your disability / illness?

I will not be unhappy if I do not heal 100% of hearing disability. It will just be a huge miracle - something only God can do alone.

Do you believe there may be a higher purpose to your disability as merely the fact that you cannot function like a "normal" person?

Yes, there is always a higher purpose and a big picture of everything. If not for my hearing impairment, I would not have been chosen as Miss Deaf SA, went overseas and as Miss Deaf has won International 1st princess, has written two books, numerous articles and columns have been published in magazines and newspapers, and has become a motivational speaker. In my talks, I made more than 200 appearances in the last 5 years. It is more than 500,000 people who have been touched by my story of inspiration and courage and daring.

All of this would not have happened if it were not for my hearing loss.

Do you believe that your life as disabled person may for other (disabled or non-disabled) be an inspiration?

Definitely. I have no doubt about it.

http://vickifourie.blogspot.co.za/