Testimonial from Salimata Konaté

Crucial support for a family hit by the unexpected

When my son was in daycare, I noticed that he didn’t express himself as well as the other children.

In December 2019, he had a hearing test that revealed moderately severe deafness. I didn’t know anything about this condition. In my mind, a person was either deaf or not. I had no idea that there were degrees of deafness. I started doing research to find out more, but to no avail. The specialists at the Centre de réadaptation en déficience physique Raymond-Dewar Laurier came to the rescue. They answered all my questions and, above all, supported us every step of the way.

For instance, when my son complained that his new hearing aid was uncomfortable, they showed him how to instal it properly in his ear, how to adjust it and how to maintain it.

At first, he didn’t want to wear it. The experts at Raymond-Dewar gave me strategies to help him accept the situation and downplay it. For example, I reminded him that I’ve been wearing glasses since I was a little girl and that they’d just naturally become a part of me. I also talked to the people at Raymond-Dewar to help me decide if I should send my son to a regular school or a specialized institution.

The second option won out, and it was the right decision. Seeing his classmates wearing hearing aids like him helped to normalize his reality. The team at Raymond-Dewar was always there right from the start. They gave us resources to help us with the transition we were going through. Even today, I can contact them at any time, and I quickly get the answers to my questions.

I am so grateful to them! With their support, coaching and knowledge, they have been a comforting and reassuring presence. I can attest that the contributions from donors really make an incredible difference in the lives of people like my son. Let’s support the REA Foundation!

 

Salimata Konaté