Sybil’s adventures at Brownies

I have had wonderful experiences as a Girl Guide, and I was always eager for Sybie to have the opportunity to guide as well. Guiding allows young girls to explore new things and make friends in a secure environment. Sybie joined Rainbows at the age of five, and a few months later, I joined the group as an assistant.

Then Sybie is seven, and she’s moved to Brownies. The transition was effortless – Sybie’s Brownie head is her Rainbow leader, and so had a handle on Sybie’s aid system for radio (nicknamed Roger) and is deaf-aware. I continue to be a volunteer at Rainbows and sometimes at Brownies as well.

It was my turn to assist at the meeting just when Sybie joined Brownies. I was there and noticed several youngsters were asking questions regarding Sybie’s implanted cochlear and Roger’s. We thought it was an excellent idea to hold an hour-long deaf awareness/Q&A in a meeting to address any questions girls asked and provide a way for them to communicate with Sybie most effectively.

Sybil and I discussed that without her processors, she’s totally deaf. Although her processors are incredible and allow her to hear a lot, it can be tricky in loud and echoing situations. Simple things like switching to speak, ensuring that Sybie’s attention is prior to speaking, and making sure she is able to see the patterns on her lips can help.

We played a game of lip-reading that required the girls to determine what I was saying using my voice. Following that, they asked extremely thoughtful and thoughtful questions. The leaders are excellent at using Roger, and Sybie is becoming more confident in helping them manage Roger and defend herself.

Recently, the Brownies took a kayaking trip along the River Mersey. Sybie was elated when she was informed of the plan, but I was worried about how she could hear and how we could handle her technology. I spoke to the company that is running the event, and they assured me that it was unlikely that any of the girls would be soaked. They explained what Sybie should be aware of in order to inform her ahead of time. I offered to assist during the day and also lead one of the canoes that were rafted (two canoes joined together with seven girls and me! ).

It was a beautiful, warm evening as we embarked on our journey, and even though I had brought those waterproof cases for Sybie’s processors, I decided against using the covers. It was one of those difficult decisions that parents of children with cochlear implants frequently face. However, I decided that the likelihood of the processors becoming wet was minimal. They were linked to Sybie via an electrical cord that was secured with a safety pin, and the covers lead to muffle sound so that she wouldn’t be able to hear the chatter from other girls on the boat.

I decided not to choose to take Roger. Instead, I chose to take to the Cochlear Mini Mic, on the assumption that I’d get in less trouble in the event that I did end up in a situation if the Mini Mic ended up at the bottom of the Mersey! It was true that it didn’t fall into the river, and we had a wonderful time – it was a delight to watch Sybie laughing and having fun with the others as we moved between banks!

The Brownies also had an evening of languages, in which parents who spoke different languages were able to teach the children a few phrases and talk about the culture of their countries. I was asked to show them the basics of British Sign Language (BSL) and to explain the importance of Deaf culture for BSL users. It was an amazing experience, and the girls had fun exuberantly displaying their BSL and demonstrating to us what they were already familiar with.

Sybie is a fan of Brownies. It’s wonderful to see her grow in confidence,  make new friends, and see positive role models from the senior girls and leaders. I’m excited for the next adventure to be in store for her as she guides her way through her life!