Born deaf, but 12-year-old doesn’t let that stop her from doing the things she loves

SINGAPORE — When the batteries of Talia Astapura’s cochlear implants went flat one day in class, the Frontier Primary student panicked.

Born deaf, Talia - who was among the pupils who received their Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) results on Friday (Nov 24) - found herself unable to hear anything her teachers or friends were saying.

“I told my friends and they were shocked, but they took out my books to write notes for me. My teacher also panicked and went to buy batteries for me,” said Talia, 12, recounting the incident to show how those around her would go all out their way to ensure she does not face any difficulties in school despite her condition.

Talia first got her cochlear implants at 10 months old, and had to undergo six years of auditory verbal therapy to train her to hear and speak clearly. When she was 4 years old, her therapist recommended her to attend music appreciation classes, in order to expose her to a wider range of frequencies. Since then, her love for the piano blossomed.

The budding pianist, who is preparing for her Grade 6 piano theory examination, practises at least once a week — something which she says helps her to relax.

At Primary 1, she performed for the official opening of her school. In July, months before her PSLE exams, she travelled to Poland for an international music festival for those with hearing implants, playing two of her favourite songs by acclaimed South Korean pianist Yiruma. “I was worried I would fall behind in my PSLE preparations, but I had help from my friends and family,” Talia said.

Given her condition, Talia would sit in front of the class at her request. Her teachers also used a microphone which transmits their voices directly to her cochlear implants so she can hear more clearly.

Mdm Sally Heng, 48, who was Talia’s form teacher, said the pupil would approach teachers for help if she had any doubts, and ask for extra lessons. While she was initially worried that Talia would struggle with catching up on the missed lessons after returning from Poland, Mdm Heng saw how she would stay back, even after supplementary lessons, to revise, especially leading up to the PSLE.

“I can see the effort and resilience in her. It’s very commendable,” said Mdm Heng, who is also the teacher-in-charge of Talia’s badminton co-curricular activity. Her efforts paid off, as she got a PSLE T-score of 237.

Talia’s interest in badminton, which started when her father introduced her to the sport when she was 9 years old, has earned her a spot in Commonwealth Secondary School through the Direct School Admission scheme. For the past two years, Talia represented her primary school in the West Zone Badminton competitions.

She was awarded the Edusave Award for Achievement, Good Leadership and Service (Eagles) Award last year for her contributions to the school’s badminton club where she was the vice-chairperson.

Mdm Heng said: “(Talia) really motivates her classmates during competitions — she will cheer them on.”

Looking ahead, Talia said she is “excited” to enter secondary school. She said: “Actually, I’m not very sure what I want to do in the future. I will continue playing badminton and the piano.”