Love and the pursuit of happiness
Holly Wissler, Dante and his grandfather
Holly Wissler left Indiana and has spent 30 years off and on in Peru. She is no slacker.
Holly started as an adventure guide and went back to school just a few years ago to pursue 2 PhD's in ethnomusicology. This is the study of culture and music. She was funded by a Fulbright scholarship. She has released 2 documentaries, is a National Geographic guide and recently joined a Peruvian delegation to the Smithsonian for its exhibition on Peruvian culture and history.
Holly found a remote Peruvian culture that was in danger of losing their story and history in the modern world. She studied it, learned the language and became a part of it. It was by fate she took one of the people from the tribe to Cusco and they happened on a film. As they watched it, the elder was transfixed at seeing his own father and grandfather on film. He called them "Ghosts Walking" and asked her to capture their story on video for future generations which is the subject of one of her documentaries.
Shortly after, Dante's mother died a week after childbirth. She knew Dante's dad as he was an accomplished musician in the community. Men in Peru cannot raise children so Dante was whisked away from him a week after his wife died. It was a double loss. Holly knew the mother as well.
Dante's fate worsened. He failed to thrive and was under stimulated for the first 7 years of his life. He did not walk until he was 7 and learned to sign a couple years later. He was on a life journey set with barriers of limited growth and development.
The love story begins.
Holly asked Dante's father and grandfather if she could adopt him. She wanted to help him transition from the ancient culture to the modern world as he was completely deaf. No one could communicate with him, advocate for him or love him the way he needed to thrive. Holly stated she never really had the mother calling but the two of them just clicked. Imagine the courage it took for her, the father and grandfather to change their lives so that Dante may thrive.
Holly will be taking Dante to Texas in January for a 3 month assessment. If all goes well, the new family will move to Austin and start the American chapter of Dante's life story as he learns American Sign Language. gets an education and pursues his own version of the American dream with Holly.
Love can change the world and the lives of one and many.
Holly Wissler is a living example of the famous Gandhi quote " Be the Change You Wish to Be In This World." and a perfect No Barriers Ambassador.
I am honored to know, meet and work with her. She has set up and organized all 3 of our deaf student exchanges across Peru.
My new guide Dante. He can't speak and I do not sign. He knows I cannot see and guides me everywhere!
Dante's grandfather blessed all the trees and rose bushes we planted at the St. Francis of Assisi school farm just outside of Cusco.
The nuns at St. Francis of Assisi school in Cusco lead the U.S. and Peruvian deaf students in the service project. The farm produces all the food for the deaf children who live and board at the school. Most children are from remote areas of Peru located far away from the city. We spent the day planting.
Many people ask me:
"Why did you create the No Barriers Deaf Leading the Way expeditions?
Here is a powerful letter from a teenager on our Peru trip...
October 27, 2015
Dear Donor,
Hello, my name is Bobby. You helped me attend a trip to experience Peruvian deaf culture, and I wanted to tell you how grateful I am for this! The driving factor in my transformation from a socially-awkward, unmotivated, and unhappy person into what I am today is the collection of experiences I have shared with No Barriers.
Born deaf, I received cochlear implants and placed in a deaf schooling system. I felt that the education I was receiving at the time was not adequate enough for me, so I eventually transferred into mainstream schools. Here, I developed a strong sense of curiosity and thirst for knowledge. However, I was unable to fit in with my peers. While some peers scrutinized my disability, the majority of the low self-esteem and lack of confidence I experienced stemmed from myself. I fell into a pit of isolation from both others and academic resources available at my fingertips. I had absolutely no friends in school and I eventually lost motivation to learn and excel. Hearing loss had been the thing that destroyed my life; it was a curse.
When I came across No Barriers, I was fascinated by the opportunity to travel and see new places. Little did I know, this would be far more than a vacation. During my time in Peru, I saw some of the world’s most beautiful creations, I made a new family, I was immersed in astonishing culture, and much more. I also got to see the darker parts of Peruvian culture. Up until my trip, I was oblivious to the lack of deaf support systems in Peru. I got to meet Dante, a 12 year old deaf boy adopted by an American woman, Holly. Dante is also deaf and attends a school called San Fransico De Asis in Cusco. San Fransico De Asis is a school for the deaf, but like many others, still lacked adequate accommodations for the students. The teachers are not trained in Sign Language, there are absolutely no established differences from the education a hearing person would receive. This truly put Dante at a disadvantage.
As I before mentioned, I am now in college. The expedition to Peru actually ended the day before I moved into college! The timing of this experience could not have come to me at a better time. I was able to learn so much right before the prime years of my life. Rochester Institute of Technology also has a large deaf population, so I was able to educate many of them on the systems I witnessed in Peru. Many of my peers expressed their interest in raising awareness and helping those in need.
I believe that meeting the deaf students in Peru not only helped me, but them too. They were able to teach me about their ways of life while we taught them how we live as deaf students in America. Many of the students told us how they wanted to thrive as much as we did. They were inspired as much as we were. Without meeting each other, we would not have had the drives we have now. Dante is actually coming to America in December to look at deaf schools in Texas with his mother, Holly!
Being exposed to such a wide array of new experiences has opened my mind to an endless amount of possibilities. Before my No Barriers experience, I did not know, or even question my full potential. Now, I know that there are truly no limits on what I can do as long as I step to the plate. My life has literally changed thanks to your help. I have more happiness, confidence, and success than I have ever had before. I now know that I want to pursue a life in education and motivation. I want to help others overcome the barriers I have had to face in my life. I have absolutely no doubt that I can accomplish any task I attempt. I would not have been able to partake in the Peru expedition if it was not for your help. I would not have been who I am today without your help. I have an undying gratitude for your generosity and I truly hope you know that you have helped change a life.
Thank you,
Bobby