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A teenager struggles with hearing loss
…but wants to pursue a career in nursing
By Yannason Duncan
At first, whenever anyone called her, Carmen Marks would be unresponsive, creating a belief within everyone that she was intentionally ignoring them. It was not until her older sister, Abigail, and her mother, Donna, noticed Carmen pulling at her ears that they would later discover that the girl was hearing impaired.
I was moved by the unfortunate circumstances that had resulted in the hearing loss of 16-year-old.
Donna and Carmen’s father, Deochan Ramnarine, said that the girl’s hearing loss was due to an accident. They all live at Queenstown village, Essequibo Coast.
Carmen started experiencing complications with her hearing when she was just six years old, and according to her mother, Donna, her daughter‘s hearing loss began after she had a horrific fall.
Donna said that Carmen had climbed some four feet in their house to catch a crawling insect when she lost her balance and fell, hitting her forehead in the process. She said that the fall was so severe that she did not waste any time at home, but sought immediate medical attention for her daughter at the Suddie Public Hospital.
Recounting her first visit to the hospital, Mrs Marks said that the doctor examined both of Carmen’s ears and found nothing wrong. He, however, administered eardrops to both ears. She said that shortly after that visit, her daughter’s condition began to worsen. She found that increasing she would have to speak louder to make her daughter understand what was being said.
She also said that whenever it rained it was extremely difficult for Carmen to hear anything. The ambient noise would drown out anything else.
Four years later, it would seem like all of Carmen’s hopes of ever hearing again would be completely shattered, after she once more sustained another severe fall, this time whilst playing with her friends in the schoolyard. She was ten years old.
Deochan Ramnarine said that, during the second fall, Carmen sustained further damage to her ears. According to Mr. Ramnarine, he recalled being at work when he had received an urgent phone call alerting him to the incident. He said that right away he had to leave his place of employment and take Carmen to the Suddie Public Hospital for another medical check. Again, the doctor examined both ears, and again they failed to diagnose anything untoward.
Mr Deochan said it is extremely painful to observe helplessly the unfortunate suffering of his daughter.
Although Carmen is hearing impaired, this aspiring nurse and easy learner is brilliant, excelling in English, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, and Geography. This Cotton Field Secondary School fourth form student is preparing feverishly for the Caribbean Secondary Examinations Council (CSEC) Examinations.
Credit must be given to both Carmen’s friends and teachers, who are always looking out for her. Although she receives no special training, Carmen copes very well, to the extent that she has been described at school as a fast learner.
She always spends her spare time reading, both at home and at school.
Carmen, who is the third of six children, is adored by all of her family members. Both of her sisters, Abagil and Karen, are teachers. This quiet teenager is described by her mother as willing, who would take it upon herself to assist with household chores.
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