I woke up on Sunday morning and tuned into Karen Meyer's ABC broadcast on a deaf family who faced the choice of whether or not to pursue cochlear implants for their deaf children. Michael and Jill Stark are deaf, and when their son Jeffrey was born, he was diagnosed with profound hearing loss. The Starks wrestled with the decision whether or not to proceed with a cochlear implant. They researched their decision, carefully weighing the pros and cons and decided to move forward with the surgery. Their daughter Melissa will soon obtain her implant as well as Jill. Their story is now being filmed as a documentary that will be released later this year.
The interview can be viewed here: Documentary Profiles Family's Tough Choice
Documentary website: Louder Than Words
Synopsis from the film website:
The feature documentary film Louder Than Words will explore the
riveting real life drama of a deaf Chicago area family, as they live
their daily lives in the hearing world. It is the story of how the
controversial procedure has created opportunity for some deaf
individuals but has also drawn the resentment of much of the deaf
community.
The film will follow the Stark family as they visit highly
specialized doctors and alter their lives and those of their children
in order to complete the procedure. The film will be given unfettered
access to this unique world and the medical process of the cochlear
implant.
Michael and Jill Stark, born deaf and highly successful
professionals in the hearing world, have already implanted their eldest
son Jeffery and now look to do the same for their newborn daughter
Melissa. They will also struggle internally and with their deaf peers
as they debate whether or not to undergo the procedure themselves.
