Background
Sue was born on May 24, 1950 in Boardman, Ohio.
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Sue Thomas
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As the only deaf child in her public school district, Sue was misunderstood by her teachers. Although she sat in the front row so that she could see the lips of her teachers, much of what happened in the classroom was lost to her. Kids tormented her in the hallways and on the playground.
But in spite of her difficulties in classrooms, Thomas graduated from Springfield College in Massachusetts with a degree in Political Science and International Affairs.
Career
At the age of 18 months, she became profoundly deaf. The explanation of this phenomenon is not definitely known. Speech therapists helped her develop her voice and she also became an expert lip reader.
After months of job searching, Thomas learned that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was looking for deaf people.
Starting out as a fingerprint examiner, she became a lip-reader for an undercover surveillance team after Jack Hogan, an Federal Bureau of Investigation agent, discovered her ability. Thomas spent four years working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, from 1979 to 1983.
In 2002, the Sue Thomas: F.B. In 2001, on her way to a speaking engagement in Dallas, Thomas felt a numbness creeping up from her fingers to the top of her head She managed to deliver her speech to 10,000 people before going to the emergency room.
lieutenant was diagnosed as multiple sclerosis.
Living with Mississippi became one of Sue"s greatest challenges. "Fighting it is a waste of precious energy", she said in an online posting to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society"s web site. "lieutenant is only by embracing my Mississippi that I learn life"s greatest lessons." When not on the road speaking, Thomas took up residence in Vermont with her hearing/special-skill dog, whom she trained to respond to the name of "Katie".
Knowing first-hand the life-changing impact of these incredible canines, she formed plans to build a dog-training center she called "The Levi Foundation".
As of late August 2009, the Levi Foundation was still in its planning stages.
