Rita Simons’ pain for deaf daughter who can’t communicate through face masks
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Rita Simons has expressed her pain for her 14-year-old deaf daughter who is struggling to communicate with others during the coronavirus pandemic.
The former EastEnders star, 43, says her teenage daughter Maiya is unable to understand what people are saying as she can’t read their lips while they’re wearing face masks.
The actress took to Twitter to let people know that while masks are essential at the moment, they are actually making everyday life for some people more difficult.
She wrote: “Masks, not denying the need for them…All I know is my deaf daughter has no idea what anyone is saying as she can’t lip read a person in a mask…but we all wear ours anyway. Breaks my heart a little bit for her.”
(Image: rita_simonsofficial/Instagram)
Rita was inundated with support from her followers after sharing her daughter’s struggle.
One of her fans posted: “Maybe it’s time for us all to put an effort into learning sign language.
“It must be so lonely and isolating for deaf people right now when their only connection to a person is watching their lips move.”
A second replied: “Masks with a clear bit of plastic around the mouth need to be introduced or made more known about to make it easier for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.”
(Image: Getty Images)
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They added: “There are a few places I believe that you can get these masks from. Hopefully people will start knowing about them more!”
Maiya, who has a twin called Jaimee, was diagnosed with being profoundly death in her right ear and having limited hearing in her left ear when she was just six-months-old.
Maiya had cochlear implants inserted when she was six, meaning she could hear in both ears.
(Image: Instagram)
Rita, who was recently revealed to have secretly split from her husband Theo Silverstone, shared a rare video of Maiya singing last year.
She was so proud as her daughter belted out Spotlight from musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, which Rita has starred in as Miss Hedge.
Rita penned: “I don’t normally put too many pics of my kids on social media but I am going against my rule this to show all you parents of deaf kids out there that #cochlearimplant CAN change your child’s life.
“Maiya is almost profoundly deaf. Without her processor she hears nothing. She was implanted 6 yrs ago and this was her last night singing a song from the show I’m in right now #everybodystalkingaboutjamie #ProudMama.”
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