Our next piece is named after Eman Sousa who has a 2.5 year old son (Marcelo) who has bilateral profound hearing loss. Marcelo passed his prescreening hearing test at birth in July 2019. Fast forward to March 2020, is when Eman noticed something was off. Mother’s intuition came full force- she noticed Marcelo wouldn’t turn to sound. Marcelo was medically diagnosed with hearing loss in September 2020. Marcelo is deaf. He lives in silence. Although she knew for months, those words hit her like a ton of bricks. Her heart shattered, her legs shaking, and the room blurry. All she could see is Marcelo sitting in the hospital bed, drinking his bottle, oblivious to what was going on. She was in complete fog during these months. She was clueless, she was scared, it was a grieving process. Moments of happiness were taken away because all she could think about what his little ears didn't work. She worried about the future rather than living in the present. Her body filled with guilt to “what did I do wrong?” “How did she miss the signs?” She was still in denial. She cried. A lot. To this day, she feels like Marcelo got the short end of the stick. He had a mother who didn't know how to navigate through life anymore. She lost all confidence in her ability to be a good mother. She blamed him, he was going to change their family dynamics. Little did she know that those days of doubt will turn into something beautiful. Marcelo brought her closer to God (SWT). With the support of doctors, audiologists and other professionals, they decided to give Marcelo the opportunity to “hear” by making the decision of him getting surgically implanted with Cochlear implants. They met with so many professionals, she lost count. Marcelo’s case went to committee and he was approved for surgery. Yes, there is a long process to get approved for cochlear implants. A lot of prayers were answered. Marcelo was diagnosed on September 3 and his first surgery was November 17 and his second surgery was in May 2021. When asked Eman if she was scared, overwhelmed, or nervous about telling her friends and family about Marcelo’s diagnosis she explained that she was open with her friends and family immediately after she noticed something was wrong. She was scared to bring it up initially because she didnt want to add more stress to her parents and siblings but she knew she need their support and prayers. The best decision she made was not to share her journey on social media. She knew she needed time to accept, understand, feel, educate, and advocate for her son before she made this public. She shared his story on IG in September, exactly one year later after his diagnosis. It also happened to be Deaf Awareness Month. When asked Eman what are some misunderstandings people have about children with disabilities she explained Marcelo’s deafness is non-syndromic, which means his only challenge is hearing/speech. He has no other underlying health problem; just your typical 2 year old boy. As a family they continue to create their own language at home. They are a trilingual household (English, Arabic, and Portuguese) and now they proudly welcome sign language. It’s beautiful thing to see his big sister, Madeleine, learn ASL to be able to communicate with her brother. She repeats words, speaks slowly and louder, and emphasizes sounds just like his father and her do. Their journey is a work in progress and they are doing their own little thing, beating to the sound of their own drum, not worrying about statistics or timelines, trusting their decision, letting go of comparison and asking for help when needed. It is such a freeing feeling. When asked what are some amazing things about Marcelo some people may not know she explained that he is perfection. He is smart, loving, funny, adventurous, fearless, happy, and he is determined. She is so lucky to be his mom. Madeleine and his baby sister, Malina, are lucky to have him as a brother. When asked Eman what advice she would give to new mothers going through the same thing as her she explained that disabilities are not one size fits all. Kids with hearing loss still thrive. There is no reason to express sorrow towards a child with hearing loss. They need accommodations but not a bar set low. She goes on to explain that you need to give yourself grace as you process this. Educate yourself, work with professionals for advice and support. Surround yourself and child with people who will champion for them. Make sure they have access to accommodations and they’re equipped with the best technology. Feel the feels, your emotions are valid. Believe in the power of prayer.
Our Eman Sousa Black and Red Plaid button up oversized top is amazing. Its thicker than a regular button up but thinner than a schaket. We loved our black and white plaid top so much that we made it into black and red. The material that is used is wool.
Size Guide
Small- Chest: 44" Length: 36.75"
Medium- Chest: 46" Length: 37.75"
Large- Chest: 49" Length: 38.75"
Extra Large- Chest: 52" Length: 39.75"
