Part 1 – Have you seen the exciting TV series, “Sue Thomas, FBEye?” The show is loosely based on the real-life experiences of a Deaf woman who read the lips of suspects for the FBI. The real Sue Thomas was born with the ability to hear in 1950, but she suddenly became deaf at 18 months old. No one knows the reason. Her parents hired speech therapists to teach Sue how to talk by feeling and matching the vibrations from sounds in the throat. She also learned to read lips. While attending public school with hearing children, Sue would sit up front and read the teacher’s lips. She saw the questions, then waited for answers that never came. She didn’t know that children behind her were raising their hands, and she couldn’t hear their responses. She struggled with classes and with making friends, since other children laughed at her strange voice and called her a “dummy.” At one point, Sue was even placed in a class for mentally challenged students because she couldn’t keep up. When frustrations or loneliness overwhelmed Sue, she sought solace through skating lessons after school and even in playing the piano through feeling vibrations, thanks to the lessons her mother had insisted upon. One song she played and sang was “Silent Night” (the name of her autobiography). Despite the challenges, Sue was smart and eventually went on to graduate from college. She even went to seminary, determined to find God and tell Him He had made a mistake when He created her. But after telling a lie that landed her in trouble, she began to realize her need for God and was finally saved. She surrendered her life to Him and began a journey of proclaiming God’s love and forgiveness. Her deafness opened many doors and made more people aware of deafness. On December 13, 2022, Sue Thomas entered the presence of her Savior, and her ears were opened to His voice. (More next issue)
Sources: Wikipedia, SueThomasFBEye.com, and ReviveOurHearts.com
