Patrick Otema spent 15 years of his life without being able to communicate with a single soul, not even his father.
“If I spoke to him as I am speaking right now, he doesn’t understand,” his father told Britain’s Channel 4.
Growing up deaf in northern Uganda, Patrick never had the opportunity to learn sign language because classes aren’t generally offered in the region. In turn, he’s endured a life of solitude. He rarely even smiled.
But, his fate finally changed with the help of a sign language teacher named Raymond Okkelo. Just like the Cambodian teen who gets her first pair of glasses because of a caring stranger, Patrick's world would soon change for the better.
“In the past, I was also like him,” Okkelo signed. “I couldn’t use sign language. The only thing I could do was hide in fear.”
Okkelo, who became deaf after battling malaria when he was a child, taught the first sign language class in the area. People of all ages showed up, including Patrick. The teen’s whole demeanor changes once he realizes that there is a way for him to communicate with the world.
And 10 weeks after learning sign language, Patrick was able to tell the news station that he's made friends and is very happy. He said he also plans to teach deaf people like Okkelo taught him.
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