A Deaf Teen's Fight for Basic Rights

Who I am

I am a psychologis living on Campobeltlo Island, New Brunswick, but I am originally from Montreal. I have a great life, fantastic friends, and nature all around. But not everyone is blessed to have their own little piece of paradise.

I met Yassmine, now 14 years old, when I was working at a school for the deaf in Montreal. She was 7 at the time. Even after years apart, she recognized me immediately during a recent video call, signing the letter 'M' for my dog, Milton, whom she loved deeply. Her joy was palpable, and it reaffirmed my commitment to helping her.

Please read her story, which provides a glimpse into her world.

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Yassmine is a resilient girl who has endured more than most can imagine. At just 2 years old, she suffered a mysterious illness that left her unable to walk, talk, or eat for at least a week. When she recovered, she had lost her hearing.

Misdiagnosed and untreated, her family did their best to adapt, eventually pursuing a cochlear implant that did not work very well and later moving from Morocco to Montreal in search of better services for their deaf daughter.

After much effort, Yassmine was enrolled in a school for the deaf at the age of 5, where she made friends and began to learn Quebec Sign Language (LSQ). She was this tiny, sweet little girl who was adored by all the teachers at the school. However, just before starting first grade tragedy struck again when she came back from a deaf summer camp in a state of crisis.

Following her return home after the summer camp (2017)

At home, Yassmine had always been obedient and collaborative, playing with her toys, keeping her room clean and helping with the dishes. But when she returned from the camp, she showed no expression and sat on the sofa without moving until she burst into uncontrollable tears. Her condition worsened rapidly, leading to hospitalization. After numerous tests, doctors suspected autoimmune encephalitis.

Yassmine lost the ability to communicate, could not recognize her parents, and became highly agitated-running, screaming, crying, laughing, and hitting. Her behavior was similar to scenes in a recently released movie about a girl who also had autoimmune encephalitis (Brain on Fire, 2019). But unlike the protagonist in the film, who was able to communicate normally before her illness, Yassmine had just begun learning to communicate in sign language.

Hospitalizations alternated with stays at home, but her parents found it increasingly difficult to manage her care. She frequently hit them - at home, in stores, or in the car. As her strength increased, managing her physical outbursts became nearly impossible. During crises, she destroyed furniture and needed to be confined to her room for safety. She also ate uncontrollably due to the powerful medications she was taking, requiring locks on cupboards and the refrigerator. Yassmine's parents could no longer recognize the kind, sensitive, and gentle daughter they had raised. She even lost control of her bowels and went back to wearing diapers.

Attempts to reintegrate her into school proved dangerous for everyone involved. She would run around uncontrollably, scream, and sometimes hit classmates. She was in no condition to learn. I was one of the people who ran after her and tried to calm her down. Teachers and staff who knew her before were devastated by the changes.

We even found a therapy dog for her, thinking it might help, but even though she loved him very much, she also hit him. My own dog, Milton, whom she loved dearly, was traumatized every time he heard the sound of her voice. For those who may not know, deaf people have a voice but cannot use it to form words because they have not been exposed to hearing, either their own or that of others.

When it became clear she could not remain at home, the family sought group home placements, but these environments failed her. Staff treated her as intellectually disabled, neglecting to learn sign language.

In time, the illness subsided, but it left a deep void in Yassmine's life. After more than two years of crisis, who could explain what had happened during those years—why she was no longer with her school friends, why her body had changed so much? Without language, these complex experiences remained unspoken and unanswered. Her incomprehension led to bouts of depression and anger, making her a prisoner of her own lonely inner world.

Due to the accumulated delay, Yassmine was not able to reintegrate into a regular school. But again, no one at her new school knew sign language, and they communicated with her through pictograms.

In recent months, her parents noticed that she was becoming increasingly isolated and withdrawn. In her silence, not much in the world seemed attractive. In addition, the medication she has to take increases her appetite, leaving food—especially sweets—as her only source of comfort.

Today, Yassmine still has no means of communication (very basic sign language, and of course she has never acquired literacy skills). She has just been transferred to a new group home with seven adolescent boys, supervised by staff who do not understand LSQ or any sign language.

Imagine being surrounded every day by people talking to each other, laughing and crying, and having no idea what's going on - no way to express yourself or connect with them. This is Yassmine's reality.

Her fundamental rights have been denied

Communication is not a luxury—it is a human right. To this day, Yassmine has almost never received care in the only language she can understand: sign language. If a hearing but blind child were placed in an environment where exchanges were exclusively visual, it would be deemed unacceptable. Yet this is what Yassmine experiences daily.

There is hope

There are supervised facilities where Yassmine could live, surrounded by staff and peers who communicate in sign language, especially one in Ontario that would be closest to her parents. It's a place where she could finally learn to communicate beyond her basic needs (eating, sleeping, bathing), feel understood, build relationships, and regain her dignity. But getting her there will require advocacy, support, and resources—things her family cannot provide alone.

Why it matters

Yassmine is a young girl with real potential to learn to communicate, but until now she has been trapped in silence and isolation because of the lack of resources in Quebec for deaf youth with such significant delays. Please join us in giving her a glimmer of hope that her life may yet be worth living. Any donation will be greatly appreciated.

How you can help

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Efforts deployed

When Yassmine's mother reconnected with me via FaceTime two months ago, her emotional reaction to seeing me and my dog, Milton—making deep, distressed sounds to express her excitement—rekindled hope for both her parents and me.

I contacted deaf organizations in the U.S., and a contact at Gallaudet University directed me to Silent Voice in Canada. After much correspondence and a large meeting involving Silent Voice, the Rumball Centre for Excellence for the Deaf, sign language interpreters, Quebec professionals, her parents, and myself, a plan was developed. However, it was necessary to exhaust all options in Quebec before considering a transfer to Ontario.

The challenge is clear: Quebec lacks services that could immerse Yassmine in a sign language environment, which is essential for her development. Her parents and I have already explored all options.

What we need to do now is convince higher authorities in the Quebec government that the province has for many years denied this young deaf girl her basic right to communicate in the only language she knows—sign language.

The only viable solution is to move her to a facility—wherever it is—where the staff and residents communicate in sign language, allowing her to rebuild her life and reconnect with the world.

Cases similar to Yassmine's in history

There are several documented cases throughout history of children who, like Yassmine, had little to no language or communication abilities until later in life. These cases often highlight the profound impact of environmental and developmental factors on language acquisition and cognitive development. Here are the most know cases:

1. Helen Keller (1880–1968)

Circumstances: Helen Keller lost both her hearing and vision at 19 months old due to an illness (possibly meningitis or scarlet fever). For years, she lived in isolation from language and struggled to communicate beyond rudimentary gestures.

Breakthrough: With the help of her teacher, Anne Sullivan, Helen learned to communicate through tactile sign language, which opened the door to her intellectual development and eventual achievements as an author and activist.

2. Victor of Aveyron (The Wild Boy of Aveyron, Late 18th Century)

Circumstances: Victor was a feral child found in the forests of France around 1797. He had lived in isolation for much of his early life and did not speak or exhibit typical social behaviors.

Development: He was studied and taught by Dr. Jean Marc Gaspard Itard, who attempted to teach him language and social skills. While Victor made some progress in communication and behavior, he never fully acquired language.

3. Danielle Crockett (The Girl in the Window, Born c. 1999)

Circumstances: Danielle was found in Florida at age 7, severely neglected and unable to communicate. She had been confined to a small, filthy room, receiving little human interaction or stimulation.

Development: After her rescue, she was placed in foster care and later adopted. Despite significant improvements in health and behavior, her ability to develop language remained extremely limited.

Similarities to Yassmine

Yassmine's case echoes elements of these stories: the isolation caused by her illness, the lack of accessible language environments, and the difficulty in rebuilding her communication abilities after critical developmental windows had passed. Her situation is unique because her isolation was caused not by neglect or abuse but by medical and systemic barriers that left her without access to her natural language—sign language.

These stories emphasize the importance of immediate intervention, supportive environments, and consistent access to language and communication to help children rebuild their connection to the world.

Opportunity for a case study

Yassmine's unique case provides a valuable opportunity for research on language development, especially late language acquisition in deaf children. Several research centers and teams specialize in this area and may be interested in studying her situation. Please contact anyone you know who might have such an interest. For my part, I am now exploring these possibilities.

Thank you to all of you who read Yassmine's story. We wish you all wonderful moments with your loved ones this Christmas and lots of rest and fun during the holidays.

A picture of Yassmine some months before her illness