May 7, 2007 6:09 pm US/Eastern
Deaf-Blind Triplets Visit Perkins School
by Dr. Mallika Marshall
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Raising triplets is challenging enough, but incredibly tough when all three are visually and hearing impaired.
Seven-year-old Emma, Zoe and Sophie Dunn were born premature at 24 weeks.
As a result, all three are blind and hearing impaired.
That's why their parents brought them from Texas to the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown to undergo a weeklong evaluation.
"Coming to Perkins gives me so much hope, seeing them interact with the teachers, with us, is the most amazing feeling," said Liz Hooker, the triplets mother.
"It's been a joy to watch the interact with the teachers, seeing them being excited to learn," said the girls' father, George Hooker.
Experts from the school are trying to come up with an education plan so the parents and teachers can help the girls to communicate and learn.
"The goal is for the family to get information they can use at home as well as for the town where they go to school to be able to get some new ideas," said Martha Majors, Assistant Supervisor of the Perkins Deafblind Program.
"So now we take them home with us, back to Texas to apply that what we're doing with our children," said George.
The family has set up a fund to help pay for the incredible expense of caring for the triplets. For more information, visit
www.deafblindchildren.org.
And on Thursday, May 10th, the Perkins School for the Blind is holding its annual gala fundraiser which will be hosted by WBZ'S Lisa Hughes and Bob Lobel.
You can log onto
www.perkins.org for more details on the gala.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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