 What
do you tell a child who’s been deaf for most of his life,
neglected and abused and forced to move from one foster home to
another because he didn’t fit in? You tell him that he’s
special and that you love him very much.
The words mean a lot to Tim Sturgeon, even though he can’t actually hear them spoken. He’s just happy to have found a family that loves him and that knows sign language so they can tell him how they feel. It’s certainly a big step for a child who spent most of his early life isolated, frustrated, angry and confused. And the chances are he never would have met his new family without the help of programs from several CFC agencies. Tim spent eight years bouncing around the Kansas foster care system. He was actually moved 17 different times. Most of the group home staff and foster parents didn’t know sign language, so communication was nearly impossible. But, believe it or not, those conditions were better than what Tim faced before child welfare authorities removed him from his birth mother’s home.
When Tim was finally old enough for school, his problems only seemed to get worse. His inability to hear or talk made learning extremely difficult. Tim sat in class, watching what was happening, but that was about all he could do. Although the school district provided aides to help, Tim didn’t have the speech or sign language skills to communicate…and there were other problems. The water from the farmstead’s well pumped brownish water that Tim found disgusting. They couldn’t afford to haul in fresh water so Tim never brushed his teeth and only bathed once a week or so. He was sent home from school numerous times because of head lice until the state finally intervened, placing Tim in foster care when he was eight years old. Things didn’t improve much in foster care. Tim had a hard time getting a good education because he wasn’t in one place long enough or in the right atmosphere to learn. Again, he was given interpreters who were good interpreters but Tim didn’t know what they were saying. He became increasingly frustrated, expressing his anger and hopelessness through angry, inappropriate behavior. As a result, Tim was constantly being moved from one group home or foster home to another. Just as Tim was losing hope, things finally changed. An Olathe couple who couldn’t have children of their own decided they wanted to become foster parents. Bob and Teri Sturgeon felt they had a lot to offer a child. In addition to love and compassion, Teri was fluent in sign language. She grew up with a deaf sister and was working as an Interpreter for deaf and hard of hearing students at Johnson County Community College. Bob had some sign language knowledge, and was eager to learn more. He has since become skilled. Bob and Teri applied to become foster parents, undergoing 12 weeks of training through TLC for Children’s Foster Care and Adoption program. Working in partnership with the Kansas Children’s Service League, Tim was placed into the Sturgeons’ home. Moving in with the Sturgeons helped facilitate his enrollment into the Kansas State School for the Deaf in Olathe. It was the best thing that could have happened to him. Tim became immersed in the “deaf culture” and for the first time in years, was able to effectively communicate with his caregivers, teachers and peers. He’s blossomed in school, consistently making the honor roll and making new friends, which he never had before. And something else happened. The Sturgeons fell in love with Tim and they have adopted him as their son. For Tim, it’s like entering a wonderful new world. After years of moving from one place to another with nothing more than the clothes on his back and a “Life Book” that chronicled his journey, Tim has his own room, a closet full of clothing, an X-Box, multiple pets and parents that love him very much. Instead of worrying about where he’s going next and when he’ll be moved, he’s going wind surfing and scuba diving and looking forward to the start of school. Like most 15-year-olds, Tim isn’t sure what he wants to study in school, but he thinks he’d like to be a veterinarian some day. One thing Tim does know for sure…he loves his new family and feels happy and safe for the first time in years. |
Tim
was born into a poverty stricken family in South Central Kansas.
He lived with his mother and grandparents, who were constantly
struggling to make ends meet. His dad wasn’t in the picture.
Tim lost his hearing at the age of 18 months after coming down with
Spinal Meningitis. His family didn’t have money for
doctors, special schools or speech therapy, so Tim was trapped in a
silent world with little knowledge of how to communicate.