When Weyessa McAlister returns to his hometown in Ethiopia, he is welcomed with love and praise. 

“Yegna jegna,” the people say in the Ethiopian language, Amharic. 

The phrase, which translates to “our brave hero”, is particularly given to those who make a difference for their family and community. In McAlister’s case, the brave one returned from America and provided a much-needed clean water system to the people of Aje, a small village located south of Shashemene in Ethiopia.

McAlister spent part of his childhood on the family’s farm in this rural part of the Oromo region. Working alongside his grandfather, the boy would help grow crops, including corn, that would sustain the family throughout the year. 

On some days, McAlister would pile the corn on a donkey, take it to the city and sell it to raise money for school. That routine became common when the young man was only in the first grade. 

It was also normal for McAlister to run barefoot to his school, located about six miles away from home. Using only the sun as his clock, the boy would desperately attempt to arrive on time to class. As it turned out, the child became a star cross country runner later in life. And he earned the nickname, “Ace,” for his athletic prowess.  

McAlister and his peers in Southern Ethiopia came from various parts of the area to attend school. And they were often happy to have the opportunity to come together, despite how difficult life may have been in the rural region. 

The children also found relief when they played soccer outside of school. It was common to see them kicking with their bare feet and playing on a busy road. As large groups of people often walked along the road, which happened to be the only main road in the area, the children would have to stop their game and allow the crowd to pass by.  

Although he found joy in sports, McAlister suffered a series of heartbreaks early in his childhood. First there was the divorce of his parents, which caused the boy to permanently lose contact with his mother. Then came the tragic loss of his father, who died due to waterborne illness. A year later, 4-year-old McAlister experienced the loss of his younger brother, who also died for the same reason.

McAlister’s grandfather raised Ace and his sister after the series of tragedies in the family. Eventually however, the grandfather sent 8-year-old McAlister and his sister to an orphanage in the capital city, Addis Ababa. After spending the next few years of their childhood at the orphanage, the two siblings met a Massachusetts man named Steve McAlister.

At the time, Steve and his wife, Rosemary, were already raising a boy from Burkina Faso, along with their biological children. Still, the couple were ready to welcome more youngsters to their home. 

So Steve traveled to the orphanage in Addis Ababa, where he found the newest members of his family. The American parents then proceeded to complete the process of officially adopting the siblings.  

Ace now reflects on his memories while sitting in his home in Washington D.C. as a 25-year-old man. But the American resident isn’t just here to reminisce on his childhood. Instead, he’s more focused on the present and future of his hometown.

That’s why McAlister is leading an effort to provide clean water in his home village, where his loved ones and many other residents have died from waterborne illnesses. 

“Water is life,” the 25-year-old D.C. resident now says. “I wanted to give back to the community somehow.” 

The determined young man was a junior at Monument Mountain High School in Great Barrington, Massachusetts when he came up with a plan to combat the issue in his native land. A few years earlier, however, McAlister was a 13-year-old boy who was learning to adjust to a foreign country. His journey in America started with homeschooling, a plan designed to help the young man catch up with the rest of his American peers in academics. 

English was particularly a challenge for McAlister, who barely learned a bit of the language when he stayed at the orphanage in Addis Ababa. It was some of the volunteers at the orphanage who introduced a few English words to the children. But most others at the facility used Oromiffa or Amharic, two Ethiopian languages McAlister still speaks. 

McAlister became more comfortable with his new home as he progressed through high school. But he was still uncomfortable with the persistent issue back in East Africa. So he embarked on a mission to bring clean water to his hometown.

The first step? Create a GoFundMe account and raise about $6,000 to buy “a bunch of portable water filters.” The next step? An unforgettable journey back to Aje in 2015. Making the trip back to his birthplace, the high school student personally delivered the filters and demonstrated how to use them.

“I had a large assembly in my village where I demonstrated how these water filters work and gave one filter per household,” McAlister said. “I brought my tools to show them how it’s done and also set it up for everybody.” 

The relieved Oromia residents still use bali, the same buckets they always used to carry water. But now, thanks to their hero, the village members also get to attach filters to the buckets, making their water much safer to consume and use. 

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During his return to Ethiopia, McAlister also visited the orphanage from his childhood. As he met with children in his former home, the young man volunteered to teach them English and math. 

In 2018, the African hero once again returned to his hometown and distributed more filters. Even after his second trip, however, McAlister wanted to do a lot more for his people. He took the next step in his vision when he attended Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. That’s where he founded H2OPE, a student organization dedicated to providing clean water to rural villages in Ethiopia. 

McAlister arrived at Trinity College after a brief stay at Northfield Mount Hermon School, a college-prep school in Massachusetts. It was Northfield’s cross country coach who recruited McAlister, having noticed the young athlete’s elite running ability in high school. For McAlister, though, the institution provided more than just an opportunity in athletics.

“I really caught up a lot in reading and writing,” he said. “They walked me through the college application process. It was a blessing. I took advantage of that opportunity.”

When he arrived at Trinity College, McAlister chose to minor in music production and major in environmental science. While he chose the music minor mostly for leisure, the study of environmental science allowed McAlister to learn about the water system, which ultimately fueled his desire to build water wells in Ethiopia. 

The Trinity College student then launched H2OPE. While leading the student-organization, the H2OPE founder used various fundraising initiatives to raise money for wells. Ethiopian coffee and handmade crafts were among the items McAlister sold to increase funding. He also received donations from other community members and organizations, as well as the Student Government Association at his school.

Leaders of Trinity College also joined the effort, providing financial and moral support for their star student. In Addis Ababa, a nonprofit organization known as Drop of Water, which builds water wells, stepped up to lead the effort. 

As the pandemic engulfed the planet in 2020 and basically shut down the world, the H2OPE project was also forced to slow down. It was heartbreaking for McAlister to see the delay in his goals. Gradually, however, the structure took shape.

McAlister, who was following the progress of the project while he remained in America, was smiling from ear to ear when he received a letter from Drop of Water in June, 2021.

The Trinity College student also recieved pictures of the structure and photos of the joyous residents. Children, men and women were seen in the images as they proudly operated their new machine for the first time. 

Adjacent to the water well, there is a stone with a special inscription. McAlister beams with pride as he reads this stone which bears the name of his school and foundation.

In the coming weeks, McAlister will travel back to Ethiopia to see the structure which is now providing water to at least 100 households. As he makes the journey back to East Africa, McAlister plans to speak with the residents, see the impact of his project in person and create a stronger relationship with Drop of Water, as well as other organizations.

The jegna man expects his project to ultimately make a difference in various ways. He is particularly eager to see a change for young girls who have been spending their days fetching water instead of focusing on their studies. 

“They are the ones who travel so far to collect clean water,” McAlister said. “We want to be able to give opportunities for those young girls, to help them do other meaningful things like going to school rather than being trapped in the house, cooking for the family and collecting water.” 

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In the past year, McAlister has been working fulltime in a company where he is required to handle chemical hazards. He says it has been challenging to make a living while still making time for his project back in Ethiopia. 

Still, the 25-year-old vows to never live a life where he only thinks about paying his own bills. 

“People my age always think about money,” he said. “But my mission is ‘how can I give back to the community?’” 

McAlister remains determined to make a difference in Ethiopia and beyond. As part of his ambitious vision for the future, the D.C. resident previously joined an organization known as Engineering Without Borders. 

Working with the group when he was still at Trinity College, McAlister helped design a rainwater collection system for an elementary school in Tanzania. He then prepared to travel to Tanzania with the organization to implement the project. But the group’s travel plans fell apart when COVID came along. 

McAlister, who proceeded to graduate from Trinity College shortly after the missed opportunity, now looks forward to what else is in store for the future. But the immediate plan is of course to visit his water well project.

“I’ll be in Ethiopia for about three weeks,” he said. “I will have various meetings and I’ll be visiting the well site and visit my family.”

As he prepares for the trip back home, the Aje native is still thinking back to his childhood, particularly those days where his family would walk 45 minutes to fetch clean water. At the same time, he continues to envision a much different life for his people — a world where they’re not dying from waterborne illnesses or spending hours of their days on finding clean water.

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There was some relief in Ethiopia this week when the federal government declared an immediate cease-fire in its Tigray region after nearly eight months of deadly conflict. But questions still remain about what happens next to the people of Tigray, who have been caught up in the middle of a war between the federal government and the region’s ruling party.

Can the Tigrayans now safely return to their normal lives? And what happens to the thousands of refugees who fled to Sudan? Will they return home soon?

Tegest Hailu, an Ethiopian native who has worked as a physician in Fresno, California for nearly 30 years, is especially concerned about the refugees because she has observed the challenges they face in the camps. Joining other healthcare professionals, Hailu traveled to camp Tenedbha in May to build wellness infrastructure for those battling PTSD, depression and mental health crises. Hailu and her team arrived at the camp in early May, shortly after a heavy storm came down on the region and damaged many of the refugee shelters.

“The tents were destroyed. They were collapsing on people while they were in it. The roofs were blown away, torn,” Hailu said. “And people lost everything they had, including the food, rations they had received. Some were physically hurt because the tent fell on them.” 

The devastation prompted the group to shift from their initial focus on mental health.

“We switched to addressing shelter, which is a huge undertaking,” Hailu said.

The team first reached out to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to see what can be done about the shelters. But they later realized that they would need much more resources to address the problem. 

“We had multiple meetings with the UNHCR and other organizations supporting the refugee camps,” Hailu said. “UNHCR is very committed, but has limited resources.”

Hailu’s group proceeded with their effort, partnering with additional organizations to complete a needs assessment study and planning a fundraising initiative to provide more secure housing. The team also called on assistance from the architects among the refugees, inquiring their expertise to learn how to most efficiently stabilize a tent.  

Hailu, who leads a nonprofit known as International Society for Better Health Access, is now asking for the public’s help in raising funds for safe housing. 

“The cheapest we can do it with the most effective structure is $80- 100 per structure,” she said. “There are 6,000 shelters in Tenedbha and about 2,000 of them are safe.” 

The goal, according to Hailu, is to raise at least $500,000 for the structures. 

“Initially, it’s a shock. It’s a lot of money for a refugee camp, but we spend a $100 a night in a hotel, right?” she said. “So $100 for a refugee is reasonable if we share the cost, right?”

As the refugees still face the possibility of remaining in the camps throughout the rainy season, which lasts from May to October, Hailu is concerned about the heightened risk of snake bites during the winter months.

“There are a lot of snakes pushed to the surface,” the physician said. “Bites are unusually high, mortality is very high.”

With hopes of decreasing the number of possible snake bites, especially to kids, the humanitarians are striving to secure plastic boots. 

“The cost is about $9 per boot,” Hailu said, adding that the team is also speaking with experts to acquire the appropriate type of anti-venom medicine.

The winter months also bring a higher risk of cholera and malaria, making it even more urgent for the healthcare professionals to obtain medicine and provide preventive measures. In Tenedbha, where 22,00 refugees currently reside, the land poses yet another issue. The dark soil in particular creates a challenge because it doesn’t absorb water when it rains, as opposed to some of the other refugee camps in Sudan, Hailu said. 

While the problems in the camps continue to add up, humanitarians are persistently asking for people all over the world to contribute in some way. 

“The world is a circle. What happens everywhere affects each one of us,” Hailu said. “Everyone at some point has a need to reach out. This is a group of people who overnight became homeless and all of a sudden are at risk of dying. Little that we do can make a big difference. Maybe because I was there and I saw it, it’s easy for me to say. But I’m not sure how to pass that on to tell somebody ‘it should be important enough for you to get involved.’ But as human beings we all have responsibilities to help other humans.” 

The healthcare professionals, who initially planned to mainly focus on helping the youth, later realized that many of the 70,000 refugees in the camps are elderly. 

“I didn’t expect to see people over 70 making the travel on foot from the area,” Hailu said.

Still, it’s the youth that are showing the most severe signs of trauma.

“The youth that are depressed and that are angry and that are sad, they are easy targets for human traffickers, so they are trying to take them to Libya. Some of them are killed,” Hailu said. “There are rumors of organ soliciting, so they take their organs and sell it. There is another movement now to keep the youth safe because they are such an easy target for human trafficking.” 

Some of the refugees are taking it upon themselves to protect the young people from outsiders who try to deceive them with money and job offers.

“So there is a huge movement even among the refugees,” Hailu said. “They have selected people who go around, just peeking out.”

As for the humanitarians, they’re doing their part by organizing various types of activities for the youngsters. 

“We started a soccer team and activities center with a library and arts and crafts,” Hailu said. “We have checkers and chess and hope to get a sewing machine so they can make masks and dresses.” 

Sports in particular have become a major area of emphasis in the camps.

“It creates a team, healthier energy. They learn conflict resolution with each other,” Hailu said. “The biggest one is soccer. Initially, they were saying ‘OK, the boys can play soccer.’ And we said the girls can play soccer too. So we started the boys and the girls at the same time.”

In addition, advocates are ramping up their effort to create educational opportunities for the refugees, primarily focusing on providing books, computers and internet. 

“Computer is a huge one,” Hailu said. “There is a way to buy internet, so we’re trying to get that so that they can reintegrate.” 

Hailu, who understands Tigrinya to a certain extent, took time to sit down with the youth, listen to their concerns and offer a sense of hope. 

“Being present with them, sitting on the ground, sharing their problems, hugging them, touching them, there is a sense that we see them and we hear them and we think of them,” she said. “There’s a sense of hope, a sense of knowing somebody cares.”  

If the refugees are able to return home soon and some of the donations for the camp are left unused, Hailu plans to redirect the funds for other initiatives assisting Tigrayans. The California resident recently wrote the following letter to the public, urging people to join the effort to help the people of Tigray.

I am writing to ask you to support Tigray refugees who were forced to flee their homes and are currently residing in Sudan.  Tigray is a region in Ethiopia that is home to ethnic groups including Tigrians. A war between the Ethiopian government and leaders from the region of Tigray forced 70,000 refugees to flee their Ethiopian homes to save their lives in the neighboring country of Sudan. Over 90% of the 6 million Tigrians who remained now face famine . 

In response, I made a trip to the refugee camps in Sudan. My goal was to work with the children and adolescents in the camps and establish a wellness center in collaboration with other NGO’s.  Of the 4 available refugee camps, we visited three: Hamdyat, Tenedbha and UmRaquba. 

Let me describe the urgent need in Tenedbha that requires all our collective efforts. Tenedbha has about 22,000 refugees living in 6000 tents.  We arrived at night after the first rainfall of the winter and found many of the tents collapsed, torn, or blown away. The storm resulted in injuries, and many lost the minimal belongings they had, including highly valued sacks of grain . .  .  . We also learned that snakes and scorpions pose a particular danger during the rainy season.  Snakes and scorpions are driven out of crevices by rising water and infest the camp. We are hoping to secure rubber boots to protect children, and anti-venom for life threatening bites.

.  .  .  I am hoping to raise $500,000 . .  . We have a non-profit organization called ISBHA (International Society for Better Health Access) that has done great work in Ethiopia for years. To learn more about ISBHA and its success in creating schools and bringing water to a community in Ethiopia click here.

To make a tax deductible donation to ISBHA to support our work for Tigrian refugees in Sudan click here. Even if you cannot contribute, please share this plea with family and friends who may share my vision of providing these necessary life saving services. Together we can do it! If you have any questions please reach out to me at 559-273-9495.

NOTE- ISBHA tax deductible information:  [501 (c) (3) ID number: 02-0731860].

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With the year 2020 bringing crisis from various angles, advocates for underserved groups have been busier than ever. On the one hand, social justice groups are working for undocumented families who have been devastated by the pandemic. Then there’s the on-going issue of police brutality, bringing more trauma to Black communities in recent months and making it more urgent for advocacy groups to work for solutions.

While the challenges of undocumented groups and Black communities are nothing new, the issues are now exasperated more than ever. In the case of undocumented groups, that means economically disadvantaged people are facing an even greater challenge during the pandemic. For Black communities, who are also devastated by the pandemic, the recent killings of victims such as Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd bring even more cause for worry.

With the avalanche of crisis stacking up, social justice organizations are finding their work more imperative than ever. Here’s a closer look at how these community leaders are juggling the pandemic and police brutality.

Undocumented In A Pandemic

On a normal day, undocumented groups include many young people and parents who struggle to find meals and safe spaces. Fresno Barrios Unidos in Fresno, California is one organization which works year-around to address these issues. But the organization now holds an even bigger task during the pandemic.

“A lot of our young people are undocumented or their parents are undocumented. They are living well-below the federal poverty line, they’re already significantly economically disadvantaged pre-COVID-19,” said Ashley Rojas, Fresno Barrios Unidos Executive Director.

With the pandemic now taking a toll on undocumented families, Rojas said the burden especially falls on the shoulders of the youth.

“Young people are working in the fields or other essential jobs because their parents’ hours have been cut or their parents have lost their jobs,” Rojas said. “Young people are not only feeling their own stressful traumas about what’s happening in the world, but also have to step in and be the providers for their families, especially if their parents are undocumented.”

Fresno Barrios Unidos has been trying to lift some of that burden. In addition to raising funds, the organization has been supplying items such as diapers, formulas, groceries, baby wipes and water.

Still, undocumented families have many more worries. Some of their stress comes from the legal battles they have to fight, hoping to avoid deportation — even during a pandemic. Fresno Barrios Unidos takes a close at the families’ concerns and works to help them navigate the challenges.

“What does it mean to be a young mother who is undocumented and navigating the criminal justice system because she had her baby taken during the COVID-19 crisis?” Rojas said. “What does it mean to navigate court and family reunification system and criminal charges?”

For people judging from the outside, Rojas said it’s not easy to understand the challenge of being undocumented in the midst of a pandemic.

“People say ‘why aren’t young people taking it seriously?’ First of all, they ain’t got a shelter. They live in tiny apartments with their whole families, so what are they supposed to do? Sit on top of each other?” Rojas said. “What are people supposed to do if they don’t have a home? There isn’t enough private space.”

In Los Angeles, one organization is helping undocumented workers who are facing unemployment during the pandemic. Collecting donations on its website, NO US WITHOUT YOU! is now feeding more than 300 families.

Damian Diaz, Aaron Melendrez and Othón Nolasco launched the program in an effort to show “undocumented workers that they are not being forgotten.”

“When COVID-19 struck, we saw a lot of GoFundMes and charity drives pop up, but most of these were geared toward front-of-the-house workers. But undocumented workers are the backbone of this industry, whether you hate to admit it or not,” Diaz told the Los Angeles Times. “And they are the most at risk right now for health issues and hunger.”

Last month, California approved a $125 million program to help undocumented immigrants. The financial assistance gives $500 per adult, with a maximum of $1,000 per household, according to ABC7. CHIRLA, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, is adminstrating the program.

“They need to meet three qualifications – that they were undocumented adults, but they did not qualify for federal stimulus assistance and that they’ve suffered by the pandemic some hardship,” Luis Perez with CHIRLA, told ABC7.

In Fresno, Rojas and her team is putting pressure on their elective leaders, urging them to address the families’ needs.

“If they cannot prioritize for communities that have been systemically left out of economic prosperity, then we will continue to see a steepening of this divide,” Rojas said.

Addressing Escalating Racial Tensions

Despite having their hands full with addressing the needs of undocumented groups, organizations like Fresno Barrios Unidos are still juggling multiple tasks. Like many groups around the country who are pushing for police reform following recent cases of police brutality, Rojas and her team want to see change.

“Black and brown people have been singing this song and chorus for decades,” Rojas said. “We know why the police force in America was born. We know the origins of that organization as slave catchers, serving white, wealthy, business owners to ensure that they don’t lose their property. “

As part of its reform initiative, Fresno Barrios Unidos has been advocating for the removal of law enforcement from school campuses. Instead of paying police to spend the day on school campuses, the organization wants the money to go to other community programs.

“There’s a lot of reasons to not pay educational dollars to police our young people,” Rojas told ABC30. “If they’re going to school and being branded as a criminal, it’s hard for them to be successful in that setting. We should be putting our resources in prevention and early intervention.”

The idea of taking police out of schools has been discussed extensively around the country in recent weeks. In Minneapolis, the local school board has already decided to cancel its contract with the Minneapolis Police Department. Portland, Oregon, and Charlottesville, Virginia have also followed suit.

While the debate continues about what to do or not to do with police, Rojas said it’s simply a matter of survival.

“When we think about police accountability or police abolition, police reform, we’re really talking about our survival,” she said. “We’re talking about our rights to live. We’re talking about our rights to safety. “

In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo discussed the current state of relationship between police and communities.

“There is no trust between the community and the police. That’s what the protests have said. There’s no trust,” Cuomo said. “And if there is no trust, the relationship doesn’t work. If there’s no trust, the police can’t effectively police. If there’s no trust, the community is not going to allow the police to police.”

That’s where Rojas stands when it comes to faith in law enforcement

“This is not just a narrative for media,” she said. “This is knowing that we can’t trust them. We know that they are not here to serve us. As community members we are navigating our safety. We know that those who are tasked with keeping us safe, will not.”

So how do communities move forward despite a severed relationship with law enforcement?

“We have to start leaning on each other. This is where we get community rapid response and community-led violence prevention initiatives and where you get communities that will not call the cops,” Rojas said. “Because we cannot trust them. And things usually just get worse when they’re around.”

The relationship between communities and elected officials is also being tested more than ever during this period of increasing racial tensions.

“We get a lot of conservative, local officials who are stepping into this moment and saying ‘hay, that was really wrong what those cops did in Minneapolis, shame on them.’ When we point out to them what the atrocities are that are committed here in town, we don’t get an ounce of that response from them,” Rojas said.

The executive director points to the case of Isiah Murrietta-Golding, an unarmed 16-year-old who was shot and killed by Fresno police in 2017.

“When Fresno PD executed Isiah in the back of his head as that young man was running away from police officers, we didn’t get statements from our city council,” Rojas said. “Our Chief of Police gave a statement that lacked compassion. We forget that these are alleged criminals and they are not found guilty. It’s infuriating.”

More than three years after the death of Murrietta-Golding, the family is still looking for justice. Earlier this month, protesters gathered at the same location where Fresno police Sgt. Ray Villalvazo shot the 16-year-old.

“We demand that Villalvazo officially be charged for the murder of Isiah,” advocates wrote in a statement.

Having seen the case of Murrietta-Golding and many other cases of police brutality, Fresno Barrios Unidos is looking to rely on community services for protection.

“Law enforcement has never cultivated safety and community. It is community that cultivates safety and community,” Rojas said. “Our community centers, our youth centers, our churches, our grandmothers, our elders, our parks, those are the networks that make us safe. And it’s not law enforcement that makes us safe.”

Calling for the community also means calling on young people to get involved.

“Young people, find your place in the community that is gonna show up for you,” Rojas said. “Our hearts are broken too and we will work with you to make changes in all our communities. There are people who care, there are people who see you, there are people who value you. You just have to look for them. Please find them, find us. Because we want to serve you.”

Wellness for Social Justice Advocates

While underserved families across the country face increased stress in a time of crisis, the people fighting for the families are also making it a point to take care of themselves.

At Fresno Barrios Unidos, Rojas situated her staff to work from home during the shelter-in-place. The executive director also sets at least three hours per week to check on the wellness of her team, which is mostly made up of young people.

“I know that as young people of color, they’re navigating real-life stress,” Rojas said. “I have to make sure they can make it through this so that we can continue to show up for our communities.”

Rojas said she been fortunate enough to not cut anybody from payroll or to not cut anybody’s hours during the pandemic.

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Mason Is All Smiles

The internet has blessed the world with plenty of adorable babies through the years. Some have graced our timelines with their laughs, while others have brought irresistible cuteness or unbelievable talent at such a young age.

This week, another unforgettable baby made the rounds on the internet. This little one warmed the hearts of millions of social media users when he showed off his hearing aids and glowing smile.

The viral video shows Mason grinning from ear to ear when he hears his mom call his name for the first time. And if his radiant smile wasn’t enough, he proved his joy with bursts of laughter, matching the excitement of his mother.

“Do you like how everything sounds?” his mom asked.

The baby once again affirmed his happiness with another jolt of laughter.

The mom, who identifies herself as Finessa Hudgins on Twitter, posted heartwarming photos to go along with the viral video.

“He is so pleased,” she wrote.

According to TODAY, Mason was born four months early, weighing one pound.

Charly Takes Over The Internet Again

Earlier this month, another video of a baby hearing for the first time resurfaced on the internet. The original video, which was posted in 2017, went viral again after somebody took it to Reddit.

According to Newsweek, Christy Keane originally posted the video of her baby, Charly, using hearing aids at two months old. The baby shows a range of emotions, going from smiles to cries, when she hears her mother for the first time.

“Are you emotional? You’re gonna make me cry,” Keane said to her baby.

After capturing the hearts of people around the world with the famous video of her baby, Keane continues to provide updates on Instagram and YouTube.

The mother of three children said her baby is progressing with speech therapy and learning sign language.

” I have ALWAYS equally shared our moments of ‘firsts’ on this journey as hearing parents raising a Deaf child and have been exposing ourselves & Charly to ASL since the day of diagnosis,” Keane wrote. “Literally within HOURS we were learning basic sign. Dude- my heart hurts as I have read comments from people persecuting and shunning some of the amazing Deaf mentors who have embraced us on this journey. These Deaf mentors have encouraged us and GENTLY sat us down and shared with us the rich history and culture that is important to them and why cochlear implants are a sensitive topic within the community BUT they never turned their backs on us. They EMBRACED us.”

Remember Roman Walking With Crutches?

Two years ago, a two-year-old baby named Roman, who was born with spina bifida, took over the internet when he showed off his crutches.

Whitney Dinkel went to Facebook to share the video of her baby telling his dog Maggie to look at him while he takes some steps with his crutches. Roman was diagnosed with myelomenigocele, a severe type of spina bifida, while his mom was still pregnant. He received surgery while he was in the womb and eventually learned how to walk.

‘I had to let him fall a few times so he’d know I wouldn’t be there to catch him, and he had to learn how to catch himself,’ his mother Whitney told CBS News. 

Resources

hearingloss.org

Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI): process of screening every newborn for hearing loss prior to hospital discharge. Infants not passing the screening receive appropriate diagnostic evaluation before three months of age and, when necessary, are enrolled in early intervention programs by six months of age . . . Hearing screening is easy and is not painful . . . babies are often asleep while being screened . . . The earlier a hearing loss is detected and treated in infants the better the outcome for language and speech development. Find an audiologist who specializes in pediatrics and find out all you can about hearing aids and/or cochlear implants. 

Early Intervention For Children With Spina Bifida

Spina Bifida

https://www.parentcenterhub.org/spinabifida/embed/#?secret=JP2JlbfbNR

Early intervention: system of services designed to help infants and toddlers with disabilities (until their 3rd birthday) and their families . . . If a child with spina bifida is found eligible for early intervention services (and most are), staff work with the child’s family to develop what is known as an Individualized Family Services Plan, or IFSP. The IFSP will describe the child’s unique needs as well as the services he or she will receive to address those needs. The IFSP will also emphasize the unique needs of the family, so that parents and other family members will know how to support their young child’s needs.

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