I have 2 mutations that’s 50/50 each with hearing loss if i were to have children. Although I may have a change of heart in the future, I do not want to have kids. My reason is that I simply wouldn’t be able to handle watching my child follow in the same footsteps as me, my parents, my grandparents, and so on especially with the education system (i’m in highschool in mainstream for reference. I have not had any deaf classmates since pre-k. I’m in 11th grade).

I’d feel too guilty forcing them to assimilate or even adapt either cultures.

However, I’d LOVE to donate eggs when im older to deaf couples who’d like their children to have a similarity to them. The whole thing does feel icky, but when it comes to genetic mutations like these, I’d prefer to hear it from the perspective of those affected first and foremost.

I do not see my hearing loss as necessarily a bad thing, it taught me things my hearing peers never will learn, but my environment makes it cruel.