Karmady Tawhara-Sass, of Waihi, is known for spreading love and happiness. She was born medically profoundly deaf and wears cochlear implants. Photo / Alison Smith
Karmady Tawhara-Sass, of Waihi, is known for spreading love and happiness. She was born medically profoundly deaf and wears cochlear implants. Photo / Alison Smith
Born premature and medically profoundly deaf, Karmady Tawhara-Sass relied on vibration to connect with people.
Now a vibrant four-year-old at Waihi Kindy Kids, Karmady raises the vibration everywhere she goes with her loving hugs and beaming smile.
"She's very sociable and full of love, it puts a vibe in the room because wherever she goes she's happy and positive," says dad Robbie Sass.
"She's an amazing, happy child. Every morning she wakes happy and every evening she goes to bed happy. She's a cool kid and we're very, very lucky."
Karmady had open-heart surgery when she was six months old, and her Kindy community rallied to help her dad and mum Dena Tawhara fundraise for her healing journey.
At 17 months, Karmady then had surgery again with bilateral cochlear implants that allow her to slowly turn up the sound of the world.
She's supported by sessions with The Hearing House which, along with the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme (SCIP), are the only two charities in New Zealand dedicated to helping children and adults with cochlear implants learn to listen and communicate.
Loud Shirt Day on Friday was their major fundraiser of the year, and Karmady was the poster girl.
Waihi Kindy Kids made a splash on Loud Shirt Day in their T-shirts made by teacher Brooke. Photo / Alison Smith
"We've been to a session with the Hearing House every couple of months and slowly turn it up, and each time you see a huge difference," says Dena. "Every session she started getting louder in her own voice.
"We're never going to know what she can hear until she can articulate that herself to us but without cochlear implants, I don't know where we would be."
Karmady easily articulates her outlook on life without the need for spoken words, as she demonstrated on a visit by HC Post to Waihi Kindy Kids on Loud Shirt Day.
She flung her arms open and lurched forward for a hug, immediately tugging at the mask I wore to demand it be removed so she could see my expressions and reveal my smile.
A mask-wearing population is particularly difficult for the deaf and hard of hearing, who rely on lip-reading or as clearly communicated words as possible.
"A lot of sign language is facial expressions," says Robbie. "And that's why she likes pulling people's masks off because she can't see their expressions."
Like most people, Dena must wear a mask when she goes out in public places but she says apart from regular kindy, Karmady doesn't go out much so the challenge is minimised.
Dena has made a pictorial book of sign cards to help Karmady learn and is working hard to learn sign language herself so she can communicate better with her clever toddler, who she says will "out-sign" her mum before long.
At Waihi Kindy Kids, the youngsters got into the spirit of Loud Shirt Day wearing tie-dyed shirts made by one of their teachers and they are using sign language regularly because they accept Karmady needs this to be part of the fun.
They demonstrated "good morning" in sign and "loud shirt day". Head teacher Kirsty Malone says they're not just learning it for the sake of it, they're learning to be able to reach Karmady.
"The kids are so much better at signing than we are. It's a bit of a learning curve for us."
The kindy is fortunate to have Vicki Ross as an education support worker who has been learning New Zealand Sign for just over 12 months.
She says people shouldn't be afraid to sign hello and thinks it's nice if every Kiwi could learn to introduce themself in our third official language.
Vicki is supported by Irene Elliot-McGrath from Ko Taku Reo, a resource teacher for the deaf, who works with children from preschool to age 20 from the Hauraki Plains, Coromandel Peninsula, Waihi Beach and Morrinsville.
Covid-19 and mask-wearing requirements have added to the challenge of deaf and hard of hearing people, who often carry a notebook or use their phone to write messages if they find they cannot be understood when wearing masks.
We can help our deaf and hard-of-hearing fellow New Zealanders.
"Face-to-face contact is probably the most important thing, and clear lip patterns without exaggerating it."
Quiet environments help, so turning down the television or radio volume, and classroom teachers should use any audio equipment they are provided with, such as microphones.
We can also help by slowing down, being more tolerant and accepting of differences in others, and learning a little bit more about sign language and trying some ourselves.
Vicki Ross and Irene Elliot-McGrath are among teacher supports for children and young people who are deaf or have hearing loss. Photo / HC Post
"Different countries have their own sign language, and it has its own grammar and movement, including the raising and lowering of eyebrows," says Irene. "Facial expression in deaf people is about grammar not necessarily feeling. But if you saw two people at a cafe arguing you would know it."
Irene loves her job, having seen preschoolers she's helped go on to fulfilling work here and overseas.
As Karmady's dad knows, deaf people overcome challenges pretty quick. "I got told that since she's an X21 child [with Down Syndrome] and was premature, she may not walk for a long time. She's not just proving people wrong but amazing people."
Karmady Tawhara-Sass blows kisses from atop her dad Robbie's shoulders. Photo / Alison Smith
Karmady was filmed by a national television crew last week, and has had her own fundraising page created by Loud Shirt Day charities at www.loud-shirt-day.grassrootz.com/loud-shirt-day-2021/getting-loud-for-karmady.
Both charities are funded in part by the Ministry of Health, but funds raised through Loud Shirt Day ensure The Hearing House and SCIP can continue specialised listening and spoken language therapy to thousands of New Zealanders with cochlear implants.
In the Hauraki-Coromandel region, Paeroa's L&P Cafe has a sign language learning group and in Katikati, a 16-week course has just begun.
