Deaf-blind speed skater lends helping hand on recent vacation

Orléans resident and renowned speed skater Kevin Frost, who suffers from Usher's Syndrome, recently went on vacation in Cancun, Mexico.  On his trip, the local athlete met a young boy, which turned out to be the highlight of his vacation.  He explains why.

It was time to take a vacation to rest and recover from my rowing adventures, as well as prepare for my upcoming speed skating season.

My destination was sunny Cancun, Mexico. I went there with my girlfriend Lise and my best friend Mike. We were there for 8 days.  The weather, people, restaurants and pool were all amazing.

The highlight of my vacation was helping a deaf boy regain some of his freedom. It all happened thanks to Gail Soares from Boston, MA.  I met Gail at the Best Western Clipper Club in Cancun.

Gail introduced me to a lady named Ivonne Castillo.  Ivonne works as a missionary in Cancun and I found out that she works with a deaf boy.  Ivonne wanted some information on how to interact and work with deaf and hard of hearing people.

We decided to set up a meeting, intended for educational purposes, teaching Ivonne how to work with deaf and hard of hearing people. We talked about the importance of having a hearing test done to see if a hearing aid would help. My suggestion then was to meet the boy, named Alfredo.

We arrived at the Mayan village, San Ramon, about 90 miles from Cancun. The journey on a Mexican road was interesting to say the least. 

When we arrived, I was struck by the general atmosphere and poor living conditions. It made me realize how lucky we are as Canadians, to live in a country of plenty. It was the Dia de Muerta (Day of the Dead) there so we brought candies, bread, baby food and a piñata.

The Day of the Dead is a very religious holiday in Mexico which combines All Saints Day, Hallowe'en, and Memorial Day.  This was a gift to the children of the village. The piñata turned out to be a big hit; all the children enjoyed themselves.

Then it was time to meet Alfredo. He was a shy boy who did not want to participate in the festivities. I ventured over to give him one of my bracelets, a green elastic band. He took it with hesitation.

We knew this was the boy we were here to visit because we instantly noticed the communication barrier.  I motioned for Alfredo to join me with the rest of the villagers to eat. He came over and I gave him my Lacroix Source for Sports training shirt.

This is when he warmed up to me. During some picture taking, he grabbed my hand and held it tightly. We went to meet his mother at their home (a hut with a roof constructed out of bamboo).

Mike, who also has a hearing aid, and I showed Alfredo’s mom what a hearing aid is. Suddenly, I thought about letting Alfredo try on my hearing aid. I asked Ivonne if this was okay and her response was “why not?”  The result was astonishing. Alfredo’s face lit up and he kept looking around.  Lise walked up behind Alfredo and clapped her hands.

It was clear that he could finally hear, he kept looking around at the different noises around him. Alfredo’s mom said “Mama” and for the first time Alfredo could hear her and he would repeat “mama.”

For the first time in his life his mother and family heard him speak. That was the highlight for me. I felt overwhelmed with emotion. It felt like winning a gold medal for me.

We spent some additional time together. I showed him my speed skating hockey card; he could not grasp the concept of ice. I mimicked how I speed skate on ice or row on the water, he eventually understood. We took many pictures that day.

My mission for Alfredo and his family is to get him hearing aids. For this to happen, a hearing test is required. I gave a presentation at the resort the night before and we raised $100 towards Alfredo’s hearing test.

This is an excellent start. I’m going to donate my old hearing aids to get the process started, include a year’s worth of batteries and a dry-aid kit.

Ideally, Alfredo needs new hearing aids. My goal is to get the word out to the public, to see if we can get the funds to give Alfredo the gift of hearing.

After Lise and I left, Gail continued to speak to the guests at the Cancun Clipper Club and was able to raise an additional $100 which will go to Alfredo's follow-up visits.

As for myself, last year I finished fourth in Canada for the Adaptive Paralympic Rowing Team. I hope to make the World Cup in Poland for rowing in 2009. As for speed skating, I hope to attend the Masters’ Long-Track World Cup in Norway. Last Year I came in 18th in the world, my goal is to try to become the top 10 in the world.