The Hearing Loss Association is delighted to announce that Christopher J. Artinian, Chief Executive Officer and President of Morton’s Restaurant Group, Inc., will be the keynote speaker during the Opening Session at the HLAA Convention 2011, June 16 – 19, 2011, in Washington D.C.
The Artinian family is the subject of the Oscar-nominated film Sound and Fury, which tells the story of brothers: Chris, who was born with hearing, and his older brother Peter, who was born deaf. Both brothers married and both had children who were born deaf. The difficult decision to provide cochlear implants for their children ripped the family apart. Chris and his wife Mari chose to have a cochlear implant for their son, while Chris’s brother and his wife Nita, decided they weren’t quite ready for such a medical procedure for their three deaf children. The families finally came full circle and have put the period of “fury” behind them.
4 comments:
Hmm... I know Peter and his family... they are wonderful. My son takes high school classes with one of their sons (Tim) and Tim is a charming outgoing teenager. The youngest child (CJ) has a CI (as well as the oldest child, has CI) hangs out at the Deaf school after school and I really enjoy his sense of humor every time I have a chance to chat with him... a really smart family. Peter is a Vice President of PSA (like PTA) so I work with him (I am a secretary) and he's a great leader. They have come a full circle and have no problem with CIs.
Karen, that's amazing. thanks for sharing that info.
I too have come a full circle regarding CIs, and actually have one too now. I love it. I do understand how some "D"eaf people feel about CIs, because I used to feel the exact same way myself. I don't criticize them for it, but empathize. Changing my attitude happened very gradually, over a period of 20 years, but I asked questions of deaf people who had one, searched the Internet, and when I got to the point of considering one for myself, I knew what questions to ask of my surgeon and audiologist.
Is anyone out there in cyberspace planning to attend Chris's keynote presentation? I'd love to get some notes. Wish I could go.
Anonymous #1
I'm looking forward to hearing him! What are the chances you'll be there? :)
I won't be there. I'm on the west coast and simply can't make it. Perhaps, Jennifer, if you go then you could drop by here and give the readers a quick summary of what he said?
:)
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