Hey!
My name is Vanessa Branch. I am 42 years old, Haitian-American mom of 2 boys. I have been hard of hearing since age 7 wearing hearing aids for as long as I can remember. I have bimodal hearing, wearing a cochlear implant in my right ear and a hearing aid in my left since 2019. Getting the cochlear implant was the best decision I’ve ever made.
My Story
However, my hearing loss journey was anything but easy. Throughout my life, from childhood on, I did not have anyone who looked like me to relate to, who also had hearing loss. The journey was quite lonely, but my motto for a long time was "to be as normal and fit in as much as possible". That worked until it didn't anymore. I always lived being true to myself and authentically, and one day, I had an epiphany of who I TRULY am as a hard of hearing person, truly accepting my limitations, and changing them into my strengths. I am different and unique, and so are you. There is no one else like you or me. I had found my calling to bring the hard of hearing community together.
On this journey, I am here to help the hard of hearing community, especially people of color, to be seen for who they are. Our ability to be resilient and to overcome adversity is a story that needs to be told, including and especially our accomplishments.
This acceptance journey has inspired me to create a community for support, connection, and resources to assist others in their own journeys as they navigate the world being their own, unique selves. Being hard of hearing is not just an invisible and physical disability, but a multilayered one that affects the whole person as a human being. I’m here to provide a safe space to overcome those challenges together so we don’t have to do it alone.
I am excited for you to join me in building a strong hard of hearing community. We are here for each other, so we don’t have to do it alone.
Vanessa Branch