"JTC empowered me as a parent and taught me to advocate for my children so that I could teach them to advocate for themselves."
When Patty was pregnant, she was assured there was little chance that her little girl would be born deaf—even though her husband, Jesus, was profoundly deaf. But when Sammy was born, she failed her newborn hearing screening—and the tests in the weeks after. Patty was devastated—although she is a teacher, she knew nothing about raising a deaf child.
But her mother-in-law did—and she told Patty to bring Sammy to John Tracy Clinic. Quickly, Patty and Jesus embraced the services offered to her at JTC. Sammy received hearing aids, Patty learned how to talk with Sammy, and Jesus started signing with his daughter, too.
Sammy started in our preschool just after her second birthday. Soon, she was communicating with everyone around her—in three languages. When Echo Horizon School, a prestigious Los Angeles private school that mainstreams deaf children, opened their application process for 2013-2014, Sammy applied—and was rewarded with a full scholarship!
Patty and Jesus couldn’t be prouder of all that Sammy has achieved. Patty says, “JTC showed me how good our life could be. JTC gave me wings, now we start flying!”
After visiting JTC and experiencing first-hand the professionalism and genuine care and support, I won't go anywhere else for hearing tests for my child. Instead of giving up on my daughter, (who couldn't sustain or cooperate long enough to get a true test result) they just switched to a different activity, that would show her true abilities...
My name is Gregory Trainor, and I was born deaf in Winona, Minnesota. From a very early age, I have worn a hearing aid. My mom trained me to speak words by using the John Tracy Program, and I began my education at a public school. When my mom saw that I wasn’t getting enough education, she had me attend Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf where I learned American Sign Language (ASL) from teachers, houseparents, coaches, principals, and friends.
I have faced discrimination due to my deafness. Sometimes it was people who were shocked to learn I drive a car. I also struggled to find a good job in the private sector. When President George H. W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law on July 26, 1990, I personally felt that glass ceiling begin to crack. In April 1991, while I was a student at Gallaudet, I was hired at the White House. Since then, I have had the privilege of serving the American people by responding to their letters on behalf of four Presidents. I'm now a Special Assistant in the White House Office of Presidential Correspondence, and my career as a civil servant here has spanned more than 25 consecutive years. Our team has gone through millions of letters and emails on behalf of President Obama. Correspondence is one of the keys to keeping the bridge strong between the President and the American people (and there are other keys that keep the bridge strong, too!) In our work here, I see the cracks in the ceiling becoming wider every day.
“I don’t know what we would have done without Mary [a JTC Parent Infant Teacher] and the support of John Tracy Clinic. There is really nothing else out there to help our daughter Elaina realize her full potential.”
"The first time we came here, [we felt] so hopeless and desperate...we were in the denial process... John Tracy Clinic totally changed our lives."
“Our experience with JTC was life changing. It was the first time that we saw the whole picture of how we can support our child with hearing loss. Now we have hope for our son.”
"In the four years that I've been at John Tracy, I feel like I could have earned a degree on how to be a proactive parent, a confident parent."
“We… have finally found everything we were looking for and more. The sense of relief to at last get answers and information that are relevant is profound.
We are starting the right work after years of struggling with well-intentioned professionals who are not deaf experts and only hope we are not too late to give our daughter the specific skills she needs.
We now have context on where we are and importantly how we progress. Outside of getting our daughter access to sound, meeting the incredible staff of JTC has been the next most important step on our journey and I only regret not going earlier.
Too many of us don't realize how valuable the quality of information available at JTC is and it is only when you experience it that it hits home. It is also difficult to express to others just how significant our feelings are.”
I still go to JTC in my mind (and heart..) a lot, especially when I need to decide something about my daughter or have a tougher day. You are a wonderful base for us parents, existing in and among us. JTC really is a movement!