Orchid of the Bayou

by Carroll, Cathryn

• ISBN13: 9781563681042
• ISBN10: 1563681048
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-02-02
• Publisher: GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY PRESS

Summary

"Mama knew I was 'not right'" Kitty Fischer says of her early childhood in Louisiana. Even though her mother never said it, Kitty knew she meant "deaf and dumb." Her communication difficulties were compounded by the bias her family endured for being Cajun. But Fischer excelled at the Louisiana School for the Deaf, and left her Cajun roots far behind for Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. After graduating and marrying her college sweetheart Lance, a Deaf Jewish man from New York, Kitty settled in, working as a librarian and raising a family. Eventually, though she could no longer ignore her increasing tunnel vision. Doctors quickly confirmed that she had Usher syndrome, a genetic condition that eventually leads to blindness. While Fischer struggled to come to terms with her condition, the high incidence of Usher syndrome among Cajun peoples led her to reexamine and reclaim her cultural heritage. Today Fischer prospers, enjoying her time with family and friends and celebrating the Deaf, Cajun, Blind, and Jewish cultures that shape her life. Her lively story

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	vii
Introduction	ix
Devil Child	1	(11)
A School for Kitty	12	(10)
``I Don't Think She's Retarded''	22	(8)
A Seasoned Student	30	(18)
Home and School: Ever the Twain	48	(18)
Mama	66	(12)
Life After Mama	78	(10)
Two Revolutions: My School, My Soul	88	(14)
At Home At School	102	(12)
Jeanette and David	114	(13)
``You Should Be Proud''	127	(14)
Gallaudet: McDonald's In Thailand	141	(13)
The Race to Who We Are	154	(11)
Summer of '67	165	(15)
An End to All That	180	(12)
The Reentry of a Coed	192	(12)
Kitty and Lance: An Item	204	(13)
Why Me?	217	(11)
``Yes, I have Usher Syndrome''	228	(6)
Catherine: Acadian and Cajun	234	(11)
On with the Party	245