The Story of Sheila
Deafness came into my life at the age of 13, in May 1999. I had meningococcal meningitis, which led to not only losing my hearing, but also my balance and my ability to swim.
Oh swimming… how I loved being in the water on a sunny day and listening to the sound of the sea! It was my favorite sound, it calmed me down. It took me almost a year to be able to dive into the pool and the ocean again without drowning, although it was never the same as it was before.
After 5 months of living in silence, getting cochlear implants returned the sounds to my life. But it was always a choice: I either swam or heard, because my devices couldn’t get wet.
After 14 years, they launched a cochlear implant device with a waterproof cover and my dream finally came true. I was finally able to do both at the same time!
You can say that water and oil do not mix, but sounds and water do. And this is the best combination that has happened in my life since. Yes, in a different way, but it’s amazing to be able to hear even under the water!
Are you inspired by Sheila’s Story?
Sheila and I are both Brazilians. Her love for the ocean and its wonderful sounds are very relatable to me. I loved how she described what the sounds of the ocean mean to her, so I asked her to send me pictures of her around water. I wanted to portray her feelings when she’s listening to it. To make everything even more interesting, Sheila’s nickname is Shine. She loves to decorate her cochlear implants to match her outfits, themes and moments of her life, so knowing this information, I decided to make her device shine with a warm golden light around her.
Buy this Art at the PriscilaSoares.com Professional Art Shop:
This artwork can be purchased as a high quality professional print in the material, size and hanging feature of your choice. Use my newest “Augmented Reality” Tool which allows you to try this piece of art right on the wall you plan to hang it, by using the camera on your device. Can’t use your device? Choose the “Wall Preview” tool, where you can visualize my art in common areas such as living rooms, cafes and even bedrooms, change the artwork size and the wall color to your preference.
Ready to try?
Write me a comment: