Back in 2022, we introduced you to Roselynn – a vivacious, talkative preschooler with bilateral hearing loss. With your support and FHSR behind her, Roselynn has been thriving. She’s now a happy, confident kindergartener with a song in her heart and only the sky as her limit!
First diagnosed in 2018, Roselynn originally wore hearing aids. Her first pair, received at ten weeks old, came from the loaner hearing aid bank FHSR sponsors at Comer Children’s Hospital. As her hearing loss progressed, however, she received cochlear implants.
By chance, Roselynn was born to parents who already had experience with hearing loss, including mother Rebecca, a Teacher of the Deaf. Still, Roselynn’s hearing loss presented challenges, as it does to families in the best of circumstances. Happily, Roselynn’s Speech Language Pathologist knew of and connected the family with the Foundation for Hearing and Speech Resources (FHSR) – and we’ve been growing together ever since!
As one of FHSR’s first Music to My Ears (MTME) scholars, Roselynn was provided with a scholarship to attend group music classes at FHSR partner, the Merit School of Music. Now, she’s ready to add to her skills by attending music theater camp this summer at another MTME school, Music Makers of Western Springs!
In the fall of 2023, Roselynn made her biggest leap yet, entering mainstream kindergarten at Kinzie Elementary School, a Chicago Public Schools deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) cluster school that provides Roselynn with access to both mainstream and DHH classrooms. By chance, Kinzie also happens to be the very first CPS school FHSR partnered with to provide classroom-based MTME education! This unique curriculum, tailored to the needs of DHH children improves self-esteem and helps expand vocabulary and ease speech production. FHSR is now the exclusive vendor of DHH music education for CPS, providing MTME in a total of three schools, with plans to expand to all five DHH clusters in the next school year.
Kinzie has provided Roselynn with the resources to thrive, from MTME to ASL interpretation in the classroom. What’s her favorite part of school? “Doing crafts!” Roselynn replies with a smile. Just this spring, FHSR also provided Kinzie’s audiologist with a kit containing chargers and batteries for hearing aids and implants, so that Roselynn and her peers never go without access to sound throughout the day. Roselynn has adapted well to the change, turning into quite the social butterfly, and, according to her kindergarten teacher, “a great asset to the class.”
In their quest to help Roselynn develop into a “well-rounded kid,” her parents have been exposing her to as much as possible.They have also taken advantage of almost every program that FHSR has provided, continuing to be among the first participants in new programs. At Bowling with Friends, Roselynn has a chance to socialize with her DHH peers.
She has also attended FHSR’s Music Therapy program, an experience her mom calls “super powerful” because of its tailored focus on DHH children. Her mother continues to notice how her speech is becoming clearer and more precise.
What’s next? For Roselynn, the sky’s the limit as she grows and explores her world! Her family is committed to continuing to support her and engage all of her interests and talents. Mother Rebecca is already looking to the future, planning to consult with FHSR’s new Educational Coordinator, Dr. Anna Tess, as the family considers future academic options for Roselynn in years to come.
Help FHSR Grow with Roselynn -
Make a Donation to Support FHSR’s Education Programming Today!
FHSR has made a commitment to support Roselynn as she grows, but we need your help to continuing to create and fund innovative programs that allow DHH children like her access to all aspects of life.
Please make a gift today to honor the tenacity and spark of children like Roselynn.
DONATEFHSR is working to support children like Roselynn as they grow and learn. In 2024…
– Our Education Coordinator, Dr. Anna Tess, has helped more than 110 families and educators support the deaf and hard of hearing children they care for.
– Our EARs Book Scholarship has enrolled over 60 families, who receive a free book of their choosing every quarter.
– We have trained 23 Early Intervention (EI) professionals on creating a language-rich environment to help DHH children build early literacy skills.
