Heather Whitestone

Heather Leigh Whitestone McCallum is the first hearing impaired woman in the United States who lost most hearing in 18 months.

Heather was born on 24 February 1973 at Dothan Dover. At the age of 18 months, she was infected with a dangerous high fever caused by influenza virus. In just a few hours after death, the doctor used two antibiotics to suppress fever and save lives. It is clear that things are not normal after coming home. After returning to the hospital, she was diagnosed as "hearing loss" without hearing, viruses and high-dose antibiotics in both ears.

When there was no interpreter she was going to public school until 12 years old and was inspired by another young lady, Helen Keller, from Alabama. Behind her, in 1991 she entered the Missouri Central Wax Research Institute. She studied the second grade in one year, and three years later she catches up with her colleagues. After I returned to Alabama, she graduated from a 6 point GPA. After that, she continued studying at Jacksonville State University and continued pursuing passion for ballet.

After joining the Miss America beauty contest, she won the Jacksonville State University college championship and became the first year Miss Alabama. When she stood next to Miss Virginia in Miss American Beauty Contest, as one of the last two, she could not listen to the host, Regis Phil Bin announced her name, but he I read the lips of. As Miss America, Heather showed her S.T.A.R.S. program. It represents "to succeed through actions and make your dreams come true." There are five points: a positive attitude, a belief in a dream, a willingness to work hard, to face obstacles, to build a strong support team - all that Heather was in her life. In the meantime, she also served as the executive committee member of the President 's Disabled Employment Council.

Since Miss America, Heather has been working to raise awareness of the problem of deaf people. She wrote four books and is an inspiring lecturer. She works for National Disability Council, Helen Keller Research Education Fund, and National Institutes of Health for hearing impairment and other communication disorders. In 2002, she did not hear the scream of her son seeking help, she decided to perform a cochlear implant surgery on her right ear.

Heather Whitestone is a fine woman. She is the first disabled Miss America. Whitestone was born in Dothan, Alabama in April 1973. She is a strong, dedicated and respectable person throughout life. Heather Whitestone is a sneaky Miss America, hard-working, determined, nothing prevents her goals. Even in difficult times, her mother always supported her. She urged Whitestone to say, "You can do it, Heather. Yes, you can do!" (Heather Whitestone). Whitestone is the youngest of three sisters. Her mother Daphne Gray is a seventh grade mathematics teacher and her father, Bill Whitestone, is the owner of a furniture store. Whitestone parents divorced and her father moved to Birmingham. At 18 months she had an allergic reaction to the diphtheria - tetanus vaccine, which resulted in high fever and was taken to the hospital (Calahan).

Heather Whitestone was the first woman crowned to Miss America in the 75 - year history of Pageant. He was dangerous at 18 months of age and lost his hearing when he was taken to the hospital, the cause was later diagnosed as influenza virus later. According to doctors, if they take two strong antibiotics to reduce fever and save her life, she dies only for a few hours. Under the guarantee of the doctor, Heather's family was relieved to return home, and they believed that energetic kids would return to normal within a few weeks. Heather did not retreat a few months later when Heather's mother mistakenly threw a large amount of frying pan over the kitchen floor. At Children's Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama, Heather tested "I can not hear", and both ears had no hearing.

Heather Whitestone is ashamed as an infant and is educated at a school talking with a mainstream school. She began participating in local beauty contests during her teens, won the 1994 Miss Alabama Championship in the third attempt and won the second time twice. On September 17, 1994, she became Miss America the first disabled. Her wonderful ballet surprised the judges and the audience. STARS ("Success through actions and realizing your dreams") is her motivational program; she also actively seeks early detection of hearing impairment and tells it to audiences of all departments and states . She received cochlear implants in 2002. She is a faithful mother of two sons, a public speaker.