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By Kelly Cupp
Special to The Winchester Star

Winchester — Certain sounds have synonymous actions. The doorbell rings, and someone opens it. A fire alarm blares, and everyone looks for an exit. A cell phone jingles, and someone answers it.

Daniela Porras of Frederick County, who has been deaf since birth, was recently outfitted with new hearing aids with help from the Quota Club of Winchester.  Daniela with Lee Perkins (left) and her mother Danitza Porras. (Photo by Scott Mason)

Imagine hearing those sounds for the first time after living 17 years in virtual silence. That’s exactly what 17-year-old Daniela Porras of Frederick County has spent the summer learning.

Daniela, who has been deaf since birth, was recently outfitted with new hearing aids at the end of June with help from the Quota Club of Winchester. Since then a world of dings, bells, horns, whistles, and other loud noises has come alive.

Doctors discovered Daniela’s hearing problems when she was about nine months old, her mother Danitza Porras said. She has severe hearing loss, Porras said, and can only hear sounds starting around 100 decibels, without hearing aids. Sandblasting and loud rock concerts run about 110 decibels.

From about 9 months old until she was 12 years old, Daniela was in a school for the deaf in Costa Rica, where the family lived at the time, Porras said. While in that school, Daniela learned Costa Rican Sign Language and how to read lips in Spanish.

So when the family moved to Frederick County about five years ago, Daniela was registered at James Wood Middle School without knowing how to speak or read lips in English or an understanding of American Sign Language. In those five years, Daniela has worked hard to learn American Sign Language and can lip read a few English words, Porras said. While in school, Daniella has an interpreter for her classes.

“It was a big change for her,” Porras said. “It was good for her.”

It was also fortunate that as a child Daniela had a natural tendency to look at people’s faces when they talked, Porras said. This enabled Daniela to pick up what they were saying and figure out how to lip read faster.

As Daniela aged, so did her the hearing aids she had had since beginning middle school, Porras said. As a junior at Millbrook, Daniella needed new, more advanced hearing aids so she could start experiencing some independence.

This is where Lee Perkins, secretary of the Winchester Quota Club, was able to help. Winchester Quota Club specializes in helping children with hearing disabilities.

Perkins said she met Porras, who is a cadet with the Salvation Army, after the Quota Club held the 2008 Kitchen Kaper fund-raiser that benefited the Salvation Army. After talking to Porras and meeting Daniela, Perkins thought a pilot program from Siemans, in which the company provides vouchers for free hearing aids, could benefit the family.

During the meeting, Porras said to Perkins that the prohibitive cost of quality hearing aids was a concern for the family.

“Getting the hearing aids was not an option for us. We needed them,” Porras said. “It was a blessing.”

In addition to handling the application, the Quota Club will also help with expenses associated with the hearing aids such as new batteries and maintenance, Perkins said.

“We are delighted and grateful that we can help people,” she said.

After receiving the $3,000 hearing aids, a whole new world blossomed for Daniela.

She can hear a cell phone ringing, the door bell chiming, someone clapping their hands or whistling, a fire alarm, or other louder noises.

“That gives her more independence in the home. She doesn’t want to depend on us to just open the door for her,” Porras said. “At least now with these hearing aids ... they can warn her of danger.”

But first, Daniela has to learn what sounds belong to which objects — and how to react accordingly.

The first time Daniela heard her mother’s cell phone ringing she was frantically looking around where her mother was sitting, until she figured out it was the phone, Porras said. The family, excited that the veil of silence had been broken for Daniela, started screaming and bouncing around their house, Porras said.

“The neighbors probably thought we were crazy. (Daniela) was jumping from one place to another.”

Not long after receiving her hearing aids, the family ordered pizza, Porras said. Daniela was in her room and heard the doorbell. Without really stopping to think, Porras said laughing at the memory, Daniela ran from her room to the door and swung it wide open — without stopping to see who was on the other side.

She had to be reminded not to answer the door without checking to see who was on the other side, Porras said.

Learning what the loud noises are is taking some adjustment, Daniela said, through her mother. “I feel nervous (not knowing what the sound is). I need to learn the differences in the sounds.”

But learning how to check before opening a door is small thing compared to the freedom Daniela now has, Porras said.

“Now she feels there are so many more things she can do.”

Daniela agrees. “I’m so excited because I have the hearing aids.”

Daniela’s goal, with the help of the new hearing aids, is to be able to attend Gallaudet University and become a Spanish teacher.

The Quota Club, inspired by Daniela’s success, is in the process of helping another youth in Frederick County obtain hearing aids.

Anyone wishing more information on the hearing aid program, available to youths in the area, or possibly seeking help with an application should contact the Quota Club at www.quotaofwinchester.org.