I was Number 87: A Deaf Woman's Ordeal of Misdiagnosis, Institutionalization, and Abuse"I was six years old, alone and terrified, and no one knew that I was deaf". So began Anne Bolander's five-year ordeal at an institution for retarded and unwanted children. Emotions were not allowed at the institution, where children were beaten bloody for laughing, crying, or even touching another child. Children lived a robotic existence, and like robots, were known by numbers instead of names. Anne was #87. She endured five years of this abuse before being removed and placed in St. Mary's of Providence Center, where teachers correctly assessed her as deaf, not retarded. After only one year, Anne returned home and there survived many more years of abuse. Her story calls for vigilance today and everyday. |
Common terms and phrases
American Sign Language Anne asked back to Stoutamyre bathroom BB gun beating bedroom began Bill boys brothers called chair Chelsea Hospital clean clothes Darvon deaf deaf club dining room dinner doctors door dressed Eastern Michigan University face father feel felt floor friends gave girls Glenn grabbed grandmother hairbrush hand hearing hearing aid hospital Kathy knew later laughed lawn games learned leave Linda live looked Margie Margie's Mary's mobile home mother move never night nurse pain pajamas pants Pat and Warren Pat's phenobarbital play playground pulled punishment realized retarded Ruth screamed Sister Mary sleep smiling someone spanked stairs stay stood stopped supervisor talk taught teddy bear tell therapist things thought told took tried trying turned wait walked wanted Warren watched whipped woman