By C.C. Ryder and Kimberly Glenn Two Generations of CODAs, Two Stories, yet Two Different Perspectives . . . CODA is an acronym for a Child of Deaf Adults. This term was first coined by Millie Brother who also established one of the first CODA support groups. One may ask why a CODA would need a support group. The answer is because CODAs are often isolated. This isolation occurs because CODAs are often pressed into service at a very young age as interpreters for their parents. This responsibility does not always allow a CODA to socially interact with same-age peers … Continue reading Two Generations of CODAs, Two Stories

By Krystal Rios, Client Service Specialist, Salinas

Always check your health with your doctor regardless of how big or small a concern you have.  Only your doctor can give you a clear picture of your health.  Last year, I had small headaches that exhausted me during cold weather, for a couple months, but I thought it was not a big deal.  However, my health kept getting worse with increasing dizziness.  I decided to see my doctor and had an ASL interpreter present.

My doctor recommended that I go to a laboratory to take a blood test for several reasons.  A week later, I saw my doctor again for results, and I learned that I had low iron.  Iron is essential and serves many functions, including:

“Iron is a mineral needed by our bodies. Iron is a part of all cells and does many things in our bodies. For example, iron (as part of the protein hemoglobin) carries oxygen from our lungs throughout our bodies. Having too Continue reading “The importance of iron in your diet”

By Lisa Painter

It is important for everyone to think of his or her goals in life. Goals give you something to pursue and fight for. Most people don’t have just one goal, and then are finished forever. So, when you finish a goal, typically you will invent another goal, then so on and on. When you set a goal for yourself, it is encouraged to develop small steps of what you need to do to achieve that goal, comparable to climbing a ladder. Using the ladder imagery, you can visualize that at the top rung your goal is there. You will start on the bottom rung and slowly climb up to the top. Once you reach the top, you have successfully reached your goal. Continue reading “Achieving Goals In the Face of Peer Pressure”

We are looking for breast cancer survivor stories from Deaf individuals willing to share their story, either as a post here or on a video. If you are Deaf and survived breast cancer, please contact us if you’re willing to let us share your story! Our agency is currently implementing a program called Breast Cancer Education & Support Team (BEST) and one of our goals is to find stories that will help others as they deal with having breast cancer. If you are interested, please contact us in any of the following ways: Email: taylorg (at) dhhsc.org or susanc (at) … Continue reading Are You Deaf and a Breast Cancer Survivor?