Her interest in hearing the fireworks rather than seeing them stems from the fact that until she underwent a cochlear implant procedure on Sept. 20, 2005, Suttles had no hope of ever hearing much of anything.

Since she was a small child, Suttles was hearing impaired to the point that she was often ridiculed, punished for "disobeying" or being "rude" to visitors, or for failing in school because no one - not even she - realized that she could not hear.

"I had worked at the telephone company for about five years when I was moved to a desk that faced another desk. That's when I realized I couldn't hear what the girl across from me was saying," said Suttles.

"I went to a doctor who told me I had a permanent hearing loss. I was 32 years old, and when I got out to the car and told my husband Roy, I cried," she said.

Suttles was referred to a doctor at The University of Tennessee who initially told her there were no hearing aids that could correct the nerve damage that had caused her loss of hearing. Three years later a hearing aid was developed that could improve her hearing by about 10 percent, and although the aids helped for awhile, over the past 15 years Suttles became completely deaf.

She maintains, however, that by becoming an expert lip reader, learning American sign language, and being married to a man who cheerfully "intercepted" for her when she didn't hear what others were saying to her, "a lot of people didn't know my hearing was so bad. I've lived a normal life even though I couldn't hear."

While others may not have caught on, Suttles knew she was missing a lot.

"I sat in Sunday school thousands of hours over the years, and I didn't hear a word that was said, but when everyone else laughed, I laughed. If everyone was crying, I cried," said Suttles.

In recent years, she gradually realized that the sounds she had once heard - albeit faintly - were no longer a part of her world. Because she longed to hear her beloved cats meow and the singing of birds, she finally agreed to undergo surgery for the cochlear implant, although she was only offered a 50 percent chance of success. She also didn't know how much of the $70,000 bill her insurance would pay.

Her insurance covered the entire cost and, said Suttles, "I knew the surgery would be a success because of my prayer. I prayed that if I survived the surgery, and could hear, I would do something to help others."

On Nov. 20, Suttles' doctor hooked up the speech processor to the unit he had implanted under the scalp behind her right ear.

"When Roy and I left the doctor's office and walked across the enclosed catwalk over the street, I heard this terrible noise. I was so scared - I didn't know if the walk was coming down or what - but I didn't want to act like a fool, so I kind of looked sideways at Roy, and when he looked at me, he started to laugh. Then I started laughing, and we laughed until we cried - the first sound I had heard was the clicking of a girl's high heels on the floor, and it was the loudest sound I had ever heard."

On the way home in the car, Suttles read aloud every street sign, just to hear how her own voice sounded. During the drive she also heard a noise she could not identify, and Roy could not hear. She laughed with glee when she realized that what she heard was herself, chewing her gum.

Upon reaching home, she began a diary of "firsts" - bacon frying, the clock on the bedroom wall ticking out the seconds, the crackling of a fire, and yes, the meowing of her kitties.

She also began immediately to make good on her promise to God. After seeing an article in The Mountain Press she found her answer. Eunice Eledge, director of volunteer services at Fort Sanders Sevier Medical Center and Nursing Home, was encouraging people to send card favors to about 50 residents of the nursing home and 35 hospital patients who never receive mail or visitors. Suttles was now on her way to helping others.

Being artistic, she developed six designs that are sure to cheer up the lonely and the sick. By adding bright little messages she has collected over the years, adding a drawing, a lace angel, a "penny from Heaven," or a "prayer rock," Suttles created a variety of note cards that can be adapted for use for any individual on any holiday, or any ordinary day.

So far, she has made 486 favors, and while her husband jokes about not being able to get her out of the house to help him on the farm, he knows there is no stopping her now. She is already designing next year's Thanksgiving and Christmas cards.

A downstairs bedroom is the repository for all her materials. Paper, recycled greeting and get-well cards, colored pencils, stamp pads and ink are teamed with sheets of messages ready to be cut apart, lace for the angels, and, oh, yes - lots and lots of those little prayer rocks Roy has most cheerfully gathered for her use.

For information on how to participate in creating card favors for Fort Sanders Sevier patients, contact Mary Bundren at 429-6228, assistant to Eunice Eledge.

By Candice Grimm
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1211&dept_id=169689&newsid=15860497&PAG=461&rfi=9