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Topic : 06/28 Silent Darkness

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Created on : Friday, February 23, 2007, 02:11:45 pm
Author : DrPhilBoard1
(Original Air Date: 02/28/07) Most parents find raising a child overwhelming enough, but imagine if your child could neither see you, nor hear you. Now imagine having that child times three. Liz is the mother of deaf and blind triplets. Her three daughters are now 6 years old, but one of the girls communicates at a 2-year-old level, and the other two at only a 10-month-old level. Liz's world is consumed with their 24-hour care, plus the care of her oldest daughter, who is 10 and often overlooked among the chaos of the triplets. After years of dealing with the girls on her own, a new man stepped into Liz's life to fill the shoes of her ex-husband. George thought he could become Liz's hero, but their relationship has been strained from the start, and the stress is tearing them apart. See what a day in Liz and George's lives is like, and the surprises Dr. Phil has in store for them. Plus, meet an inspirational woman who says her world turned from light to dark at the age of 15. She has a message for George and Liz. Join the discussion.

Find out what happened on the show.

More June 2007 Show Boards.


 
powaygrl
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February 26, 2007, 8:25 am PST

i'm a 17 year old special needs child

i have a neurological impairement,anyway i'm friends with blind kids vincent and paul and a visually impaired boy named david, they are all sweet boys with a heart made of gold,lol,i feel sorry for the mom and the girls.
 
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daisyblue22
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February 26, 2007, 8:46 am PST

02/28 Silent Darkness

Wow,

 

I cannot even begin to imagine the pain that this family is in. All of them. How very heartbreaking!

 

I pray they all find peace and a way to co-exist, loving and nurturing their family together. Wow.

 

Hallie
 
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tyjope
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February 26, 2007, 9:24 am PST

Triplets

Quote From: penny_lady

This is just one of the more heart breaking situations I could imagine. I think sometimes people for get that parents aren't godly...they are just human beings who also have limits.
I am the mother of triplets, so I know from personal experience exactly what it took to get three healthy, normal kids from birth to adulthood (my sons are now 23). So, in light of the challenges that Liz must face each day, my heart goes out to her. I Peter 5:6-7
 
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sheezmasweetie
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February 26, 2007, 1:18 pm PST

Curious

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Sounds like this teen you know had a LOT of support.  And there was only one of him.  We haven't seen the show yet so I don't know what support they have.  But times what that teen has by three.  I would imagine that those girls have the same potential as he does.  It just needs to be explored and encouraged.  Good luck to them and I have faith that it will come in time.  And I in no way mean to dicount the accomplishments of the teen you know.  I am sure he is remarkable and a shining example of the human spirit.

Is this young man from Alberta Canada?

 

I have worked with and met many families who have a child who is deafblind and adults who are deafblind themselves. I have seen families support their child and advocate for their child, night and day, I cannot even imagine the sleepless nights and tiring days. Adults who are deafblind have the same needs, but different settings.

 

Since this Dr.Phil's preview has come out emails having been flying left and right in Canada, all Intervenors and people who are working in the field of deaflbindness will be watching. Thanks for sharing you story George and Liz....Will post more after the show.

 

A word to the family, these beautiful girls (4) are a wonderful gift, and you as parents are a gift to them. May you continue to share with each other and love each other.
 
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greper
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February 26, 2007, 5:44 pm PST

02/28 Silent Darkness

liz i know this will be hard to understand as you have had a very hard life on your hands,but look at the bigger picture here, you have been blessed with 3 beautiful children who can hear and see god in a way you and i can not, keep the faith he will pull you through everything,
 
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gwarrior6
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February 27, 2007, 6:47 am PST

10 year old...

I feel bad for the 10 year old daughter who gets overlooked...I used to be her, that's really bad.  You can be neglected so easily because it takes so much energy to keep the other kids alive.  It really affects you socially...I couldn't bring friends over because the house smelled bad (one brother had a colostomy and was fecally incontinent) and I was embarrassed.  Because it took so much attention, my parents didn't have much of a social life, which meant that I didn't get a good example of social skills... but i'm working on mine.  You just want to crawl into a hole somewhere and escape, and people don't understand what's going on.  Anyway, I hope that gives some insight into the POV of a sibling of a special needs child.  It plays a big impact on who you are and the guilt you feel at not being able to take care of your siblings.  I guess that's why i went into healthcare...anyway, hope that helps.
 
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rosie52
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February 27, 2007, 7:34 am PST

I was wondering also.

Quote From: cskiles

From what I have read I am not sure if these children have other problems or are only deaf/blind.  I work with a young man who is deaf/blind and is 14.  This morning he just wrestled in his first ever wrestling match in our middle school program, he won.  He would be a great inspiration for this mother as he leaves everyone he meets a better person.    He is smart and clever in spite of  his challenges.  He is supported by a wonderful father, sisters, grandpa, and an angel of a grandma who works very hard to help him succeed.  This young man is who he is because of his blind/deafness and he is a wonderful person who makes us all better people just to have known him.  Good luck to this mom and remember to find people who have experienced this for your support and encouragement. Cindy

I know the story of Helen Keller. She had a fever(they never knew exactly what caused the fever-she was born in 1880)and it left her deaf and blind at 19 months old. She went on to graduate college, was involved in a lot of things. I was wondering about the severity of the triplets conditions. To the mom and step-dad, hang in there-as I'm sure you've been doing. I so hope that DrPhil can come through with a boatload of help from all directions possible. I hope for the best possible future for y'all.
 
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rosie52
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February 27, 2007, 7:37 am PST

God bless you too.

Quote From: gwarrior6

I really feel for the mother.  My brothers were born with multiple birth defects (although nothing like the triplets) and my parents had a massive strain in their relationship.  These kids require so much attention, I'm suprised the poor woman can work a full time job and take care of them!

The family dynamics are so focused on the children that the parents don't even exist as people. 

 

God help her when they get into grade school- teachers usually aren't very supportive or tolerant of special needs children (at least with our experience), making normalcy very difficult to acheive.  I hope she has someone in her life for support, her parents, friends, a church that can help with baby care.  That has to be tough- God bless that family!

May I ask you how your brothers are doing now?
 
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gwarrior6
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February 27, 2007, 8:58 am PST

Better

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May I ask you how your brothers are doing now?

They are great now (they are twins btw).  They're going to a local community college and have jobs.  They have overcome many of their problems through surgery and rehabilitation.  As their big sis, i'm SO proud of them.  They have gained some sense of normalcy- they're not perfect socially, but they are much better than they used to be and even have friends. 

 

I hope the mother realizes that despite the triplets' problems, if she can just hang on (the earliest years are the hardest) that it DOES get better.  Despite their developmental problems, there's hope for them to go to college and catch up with other children their age.  They may not entirely be "normal" but they can have careers and lives like anyone else. 

 

To the sister, you will be stronger for this.  Your sisters need patience and love, and this will turn you into a strong, independant, hard working woman.  There is good that comes out of this.  Many people that have had hard times as children grow up to be successful adults, and this too shall pass.  God bless you all, I see a lot of who I used to be.
 
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bullrider45238
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February 27, 2007, 1:30 pm PST

silent darkness

i am an interpreter for the Deaf and work with Deaf-blind on a regular basis. I just want to applaud you for bringing this story to people's attention
 
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