When 19-year-old Eng Foong Mei signs, she becomes very animated. Her hands are a blur of fluid motions, and her expressive face lights up with emotions.
“When I was young, I had all these different dreams,” she signs, as her “mentor” at YMCA, Lucy Lim, translates. “I wanted to be a model and an actress...then I realised maybe I could not be an actress because I'm deaf,” she jokes.
The slender teenager, affectionately nicknamed Mei-Mei, was born with a hearing impairment after her mother developed rubella during pregnancy.
“My mom and dad told me that my mother was heartbroken when I was born. She cried for almost four days,” she says.
However, Mei-Mei's parents realised that life had to go on, and they had to accept their child as she was. “My mother realised that there were many things that could be done to support me. She went around looking for all the information (on how) to support me and cope with having a deaf child.”
At the age of one year and 10 months, Mei-Mei was enrolled in the early intervention programme by Pusat Majudiri ‘Y' under YMCA KL.
 |
| ‘My name is Mei-Mei,' signs 19-year-old Eng Foong Mei, who believes that being deaf is no barrier to achieving your ambitions . |
After completing the early intervention programme, Mei Mei attended kindergarten in a hearing school setting, while YMCA staff continued to visit her house to provide support.
Her primary education and first year of secondary school took place in an all-deaf school setting. In Form Two, she made the decision to switch to the normal classes, as she noticed that she was lagging in her studies.
“The teachers were not signing proficiently and they were not giving us enough information. My other deaf friends told me that it is more competitive (in the normal classes) and you learn much more,” says Mei-Mei.
She really discovered her potential in Form Four and Five, especially as she had a group of friends who were very supportive of her and helped her with her school work.
“When friends in class understand and give you all the moral support, it makes learning fun,” she smiles, revealing with shy pride that she scored an A1 for mathematics in SPM this year.
One senses something special about this young lady, who is not only intelligent, but also refreshingly self-assured and mature for her age. She is now working temporarily at Pusat Majudiri ‘Y', her “alma mater”, because she wants to give back the same support to other deaf children and adults that she received when she was growing up.
Being deaf has never been a barrier for Mei-Mei, who looks forward to pursuing business studies.
“Deaf students who feel comfortable and confident that they can continue to study in a hearing class should be given the opportunity. These students could be the role model for the future generations of deaf people, (to show that) they can also succeed in life,” she urges parents and teachers.
But life isn't all about studies and serious stuff. Mei-Mei confesses that she follows Chinese drama serials almost religiously and, like any other teenage girl, loves shopping.
Her mentor Lim groans in mock distress, “Yeah, she made me broke in Hong Kong!”
Mei-Mei beams.