I had a comment posted on my blog that asked why so many here in the DR are deaf and/or blind. I will do my best to answer this question, based on the comments that I have heard from those working closely with the deaf, also the information provided to us during our branch tour.
When we took our tour of the branch, the Brother from the need greater/missionary desk mentioned that there are areas in the country where you can actually go door to door preaching to the deaf. In the Houston area we can spend many hours searching, without finding even one deaf person. In this country there are areas where there will be upwords of 300+ persons living in a general area that are deaf. When we toured the branch, the Brother mentioned that since there are such large groups all living so close together, that it could possibly be a genetic issue that is causing so many to be deaf.
I have been able to work in the preaching work here several times with a missionary sister in the ASL named Teresa Smith. Friday afternoon she took Michael and I to her "special" territory. She explained that she was told by her Bible student, who is deaf and blind, that she knew where there were more like her. This particular Bible student had become deaf and blind in the past 5 years, after being treated with dialysis for a kidney disease. The Bible student then mentioned that there were a lot of deaf and/or blind at the dialysis center. For those not familiar with the routine of one getting dialysis, it requires them to have the treatment done 3 times a week for several hours each treatment. This means that there is a lot of "waiting time" for the patients and Teresa will know if she goes that the people will be there and they will not have anything to do. She goes a particular time each week, so that it becomes a routine for the people.
As I mentioned, Teresa took Michael and I there this past Friday afternoon. Since it is a dialysis center, and involves blood, we opted not to take the girls with us. I can say that things are very different here than in the States. The hospital that we went to is a state run hospital, kinda comparble to Ben Taub in Houston, but worse. When we approached the door to the building there was a lady sitting there that Teresa has been calling on since she first started visiting the center. She was deaf and blind, but of course, she could speak (and yes it was only in Spanish). Teresa signed to her, saying hello and seeing how she was doing, Mike and I did the same. Teresa explained later that the lady had been very ugly verbally the first time that she signed to her, but now her perception of Jehovah's Witnesses has changed some. We then went inside the building and there were several there that Teresa regularly visits with in the waiting area (they were waiting for their treatments). Teresa was able to share scriptures with them and encourage them. One lady had lost her sight and about 90% of her hearing, but Teresa was able to get right into her ear and talk to her loudly and she could hear her. We could tell that Teresa is well known there, by patients and staff, and her visits were welcomed.
So back to the point, of why are so many people here deaf and/or blind. From what Teresa has gathered from the staff and patients, is that in the states in the past there was a drug used for the dialysis that was found to cause deafness and blindness in patients. The FDA stepped in and stopped the use of the drug. But of course, since we live in a money hungry world, the pharmaceutical companies then shipped the drugs to third world countries, where there wasn't a governmental agency regulating what was used on patients. Teresa told me of one lady there that was taking a medicine for kidney treatment and starting to go blind. The doctor told her to stop taking it and her sight came back. Unfortuntely for others, such as one study she had, the lady was taking 30 pills a day for her treatment. So she had no way to know which pill it was that was causing the blindness and deafness.
Here is a link to a sister's blog here in the Santiago ASL congregation and she has a post on there about a deaf/blind woman that they had to teach ASL. Imagine being hearing and seeing all your life, then you get sick and need to take medicine to live, but then you become deaf and blind. The only way her family could communicate with her was writing letters and the woman's leg. Here is the link: http://www.antonandjac.com/
Whatever the cause, there is a GREAT need here for ones to work with the deaf and deaf/blind. If you know ASL, or are willing to taught, please prayerfully consider weather or not you would be in a position to help in this country. We all Jehovah will richly bless your efforts and you will be rewarded so many times over.
Sorry I wanted to take pictures, but didn't feel it was appropriate, so look on the link I posted for some pictures.
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