1942-1950

In February 1942, I got very sick with scarlet fever and a high fever peaking at 107 degrees with ear infections.  Because we were new to the area we didn’t know any doctors.  We were told of a good ear doctor.  He told my mother that I had a very serious ear infection and recommended another specialist for us to go see.  We went to see the specialist and were told that I had a double mastoiditis, infecting both inner ears requiring immediate surgery.  The doctor found out that we were LDS and told my mother to get the elders to give me a blessing, because it would be only with the help of the Lord that my life would be spared.  After 2 ½ hours surgery the doctor came out and told my parents that he had just finished one ear and had the other one to complete the surgery.  He said that the infection had come to a hair’s breadth of my brain.  After 4 hours of surgery, he said that I was in very serious condition.  The infection had destroyed all of one ear drum and the majority of the other one. Much of the inner ear was gone.  If I were to live I would be completely deaf.  I was in the hospital for a week and wasn’t getting any better.  The doctor said if I were to recover, it would be at home with my parents.  While in the hospital, I remember having strange dreams.  One was seeing my mother coming in to see me wearing a very large and funny looking hat with big flowers.  Another dream was seeing very large crayons on the wall. The doctor said it was because of the high fever.  I not only had the inner ear infections, but I also had spinal meningitis.  After I was home, I requested to hear a favorite program on the radio…”Lets Pretend”.  My mother turned the volume up as high as it would go and I could barely hear it.  I had very little hearing.   I had many priesthood blessings for the healing of the sick.  Some were that I would live and others that my hearing would be restored.  I remember my dad sitting by me on the bed telling me that I could play a very large role in getting better.  He was a man of great faith and knowledge beyond his formal education.  He taught me to talk to my body, willing it to heal itself.  One example I can remember was to envision little soldiers….some being red and some being white soldiers marching through my body attacking all the bad ones and healing my body.  These “good soldiers” could destroy the “bad ones”.  I believe this became known as “biofeedback”.  My dad had wisdom and knowledge beyond his education.  I practiced what he was teaching me.  I believe that with the Lord’s help, I was able to control my body to get better.  When I finally became well enough to go back to school, my mother was told that I would have to go to a special class for the deaf.  My mother, being a very stubborn woman told them that when school was ready to start in the fall (Sept 1942) that I would be able to function in a regular classroom.  They agreed to let me try, but I needed to meet with a lip reading class 1 or 2 times a week and have my hearing checked every month.  When I first started school that year, my hearing was at 25%.  By the end of the school year it had improved to 94%.  I know that that the priesthood blessings and the practice of becoming in tune with my body to heal itself as my dad had trained me to do was responsible for what happened. This experience was responsible for the groundwork of strong faith that I developed.   In spite of the spiritual ups and downs of my life that faith has remained strong and unwavering.

I was baptized Mar 6 1943 In Garvanza Ward in Los Angeles, Ca.  This took some act of faith for me; the surgeon who performed the surgery had told me I should never immerse my head in water.  When we told him about the baptism to be done, he said:  “Then you must take some lamb’s wool and completely cover it with Vaseline after you insert it into the ear.”  This would make it waterproof.  I remember being a little scared, but I knew I could trust the doctor and sure I could trust the Lord.  All went well.  I remember the font was under the stage in the cultural hall.

I started taking piano lessons about that same year.  After a few years, I began to play hymns and sing with my dad.  This was my first introduction to singing.  I loved singing with dad and began to harmonize with him.  In the 9th grade I was in a girl’s chorus and learned more about singing in parts.  I was assigned to the 2nd Soprano section.  This is where my love for singing in groups began.  In the 10th grade I continued participating in music.  This year it was A Capella Choir.  Singing with male voices added to the richness of the music I sang.