Endeavour Hills mother of three Joanna Fricot formed a support group for the parents of deaf children after her six-year-old daughter Estelle was diagnosed with a hearing impairment. By Rebecca Fraser
WHEN Joanna Fricot’s daughter was diagnosed with a severe hearing impairment, all she wanted to do was talk to the mother of another deaf child.
Ms Fricot said she did not want to hear from another specialist or a doctor, but instead wanted to speak to a parent who had gone through a similar experience.
Instead, the Endeavour Hills mother of three said she was given a “show bag” after the devastating diagnosis that was full of complex and overwhelming information.
Ms Fricot said that when she and her husband, Albert, were told that Estelle, now six years old, had a severe hearing impairment it felt like they were basically holding a new child in their arms.
She said she was ex-tremely disappointed at how the diagnosis was handled.
“Within half an hour I was handed a show bag and that was it.
“It was full of medical terminology and made no sense to me.
“It was very daunting and looked very negative.
“There was all this information about bionic ears and special schools and it was just too much to take in.
“All I wanted was to speak to another mother going through a similar thing but there was no contact details of any other mothers.
“I just wanted some hands on advice,” she said.
Ms Fricot spent the next three weeks trying to track down the mother of a deaf child and eventually found one in Brighton.
“After two or three words on the phone I burst into tears and she cried with me and said it would be ok.
“That is what I really needed,” she said.
This need for support led Ms Fricot to form the Parents of the South East Region (POSER) group in November 2004 with the help of Deaf Children Australia.
The group provides friendship and support for families of deaf children in the southeastern suburbs and now attracts about 25 members and their families to functions.
The part-time integration aide at the Holy Family school in Doveton said she also wanted to replace the “show bag” with an information book for the parents of deaf children.
“I want to create a booklet filled with the stories and experiences of parents with deaf children and their contact details
“I am going to call our story ‘What now’?
Ms Fricot said she had always known something was wrong with Estelle and disagreed with some doctors’ suggestions that the then two-year-old had a behavioural problem.
She said that from the age of three Estelle was placed on a bus at 7.30am four mornings a week and taken to an early intervention school in Burwood.
When Estelle turned five the family also faced the decision of whether to keep their daughter at the early intervention school or place her into the mainstream school system.
Her parents chose to send her to St Paul Apostle South with her two other brothers and Ms Fricot said they had never looked back.
Ms Fricot said the school had been fantastic and had soundproofed a classroom for their hearing impaired students and her teacher wore a special microphone that was attached to a hearing device that Estelle wore all the time.
This is in addition to the two hearing aides the six-year-old already wears.
Ms Fricot also urged parents who may be experiencing some difficulties with their children to have their hearing checked.
“Even mild deafness can make a big difference in someone’s life,” she said.
For more information on POSER contact Deaf Children Australia on 9539 5300 or go to www.deafchildrenaustralia.org.au. Ms Fricot can be contacted on 97000339.
