Born May 24, 1950 in Boardman, Ohio, Sue Thomas became profoundly deaf at the age of 18 months. Only now do doctors suspect her deafness may have been the early signs of Multiple Sclerosis, which she was officially diagnosed with in 2001.

Doctors encouraged Sue’s parents to institutionalize her. Instead, Sue’s loving family introduced her to innovative educators. By sitting in front of a mirror and mimicking the shapes her speech therapist made with her mouth, Sue learned to speak with appropriate pronunciation and inflection. As a result, she reads lips flawlessly and speaks clearly.

Despite Sue’s inability to hear the music she played on the piano, she could feel its vibrations. Her mother, who loved music, began teaching her to play at age 5. Sue learned to play complicated classical pieces on the piano and developed a deep appreciation for the music which she believes lives inside us all.

School was difficult for Sue, yet she persevered and, as a result, graduated from Springfield College in Massachusetts with a degree in political science and international affairs in 1976. Afterward, she studied at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and Columbia Graduate School of Bible Study and Missions in Columbia, South Carolina.

In the early 1980’s she began working for the FBI as a fingerprint examiner until an agent asked her to interpret a soundless videotape conversation and discovered her lip-reading skills. “I became the FBI’s secret weapon,” said Sue in an interview. “And they even paid me to do it!”

Sue resigned from her position in 1983 due to health reasons. In 1990, she published her autobiography, “Silent Night.” The book became the basis for “Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye,” a television series starring Deanne Bray. Thomas credits the persistence of her parents and God’s saving grace for her life’s successes.

Read more about Sue Thomas at: Healthy Hearing, Sue Thomas

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