For a short time in college, I toyed with the idea of becoming a nurse. I wanted to become a labor and delivery nurse and work with babies. I was sitting with a counselor, planning my future classes and trying to select a major. She expressed her concern at my choice of a career: how would I communicate with the doctors? What if I misunderstood a patient?
I was dealing with the newness of becoming deaf and my self-esteem was in a shaky place. I dropped the idea and focused on a major which seemed to be a better fit, a vocational rehabilitation counselor. Never mind the fact that my heart wasn’t really into it, but hey, I liked helping people and counseling was right up my alley.
Fast forward a few years and I began to meet more and more deaf and hard of hearing people from all over. Heck, I met lawyers, engineers, pharmacists, vets, doctors, dentists and yes–deaf and hard of hearing nurses! Deaf and hard of hearing nurses in the emergency rooms, operating rooms, schools, nursing homes and heck yeah–working in labor and delivery! Oh, and musicians, athletes, actors, realtors, motivational speakers and more! All of them deaf and hard of hearing. Where the heck were these people when I was growing up? Where were they when I was picking my major in college?
I’m a mom of three deaf and hard of hearing kids and I’ve raised them with the idea that they can do whatever they’re passionate about. I made sure to expose them to as many deaf and hard of hearing adults as I possibly could while they were growing up. I also wanted them to understand they might have to lead the way if they chose a path that someone hadn’t gone down before. That’s how the idea for my newest book came about: “The Passionate Lives of Deaf and Hard of Hearing People.” The book features a collection of stories of 22 deaf and hard of hearing people living out their passions and doing what they were born to do.
It is my hope that every deaf and hard of hearing person will pick up this book and realize they can live the life they’re passionate about–all that’s needed is the courage to unwrap their passion and put it in motion.
Bulk orders are available at a discount–email me at: karen(at)karenputz.com.