Special Report
THE CITY OF SOUTHFIELD
presents the
2 nd
THE COVER
annual
'We Were Relentless' from page A17
an afternoon of music, fun
and games for the whole family
Sunday, February 22, 2009
2:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Southfield Pavilion & Sports Arena
26000 Evergreen Road
Jordan flanked his brother Brian and father, Marty
Free Ice Skating
(Southfield Sports Arena)
3:00 - 6:00 p.m.
he was deaf By the time they had their
first date, she knew but she didn't care.
Even from the first meeting, she said,
"I didn't think about it. I didn't have
a problem whatsoever understanding
Jordan." As Fisher, 26, of Keego Harbor,
got closer to Jordan, she became
enamored with his parents as well.
"Mollene and Marty didn't dwell
on anything negative she said. "They
didn't make him feel different and let
him function like everyone else
Fisher is an artist and assistant
director of the Janice Charach Gallery
in West Bloomfield. Engaged to marry
Jordan this June, she said, "Mollene,
who is a doll maker and a funky
avant-garde fiber artist, taught me
to knit. Together we are making the
chuppah for our wedding."
Enjoy fun-filled activities including
children's arts and crafts, petting farm
featuring miniature horses, donkey, goats,
sheep, alpaca, bunnies and ducks, air brush
face painting, s 'mores marshmallow roast,
hayrides, ice sculpture carving demonstrations,
Wii (interactive gaming area), moonwalk
and much more.
Chili, hot dogs, soups and more
will be available for purchase.
The Way Of The Future
Jordan has taken advantage of new,
helpful communication technology. He
has a CapTel (Captioned Telephone)
that provides word-for-word captions
of telephone conversations.
"The way people use e-mail for texting
and Blackberry messaging has made
Jordan's life so much easier," Brian said.
"It is a great equalizer because every-
body does it. Jordan and I live in dif-
ferent cities but we text or e-mail every
single day, usually many times."
Fisher, too, has learned about tech-
nology that assists those with hearing
impairments. "I went to hear Jordan
speak at a conference in Ann Arbor
and while I was there I learned about a
device that wakes a hearing impaired
parent to tell them their kids are up:'
she said. "And Jordan's alarm clock is
like an earthquake; it shakes him."
Jordan and Fisher often rent mov-
ies, but they have been to a theater
The event will feature
music performances by:
Paul Miles - 2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Skye Island - 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.
and more
FREE ADMISSION!
Call the Southfield Community Relations Department
at (248) 796-5130 for more information.
DETROIT
JEWISH NEWS
uthfield.
the center of it all -
1477800
A18
February 12 • 2009
in Livonia that provides closed cap-
tioning projectors that fit into the
seat's arm rest-cup holder. "Nothing
has been an issue with us because
of Jordan's hearing loss:' Fisher said.
"Jordan loves music. He has listened
to some songs so many times with his
parents, he can hear the beat and he
knows when the lyrics start. And he's a
natural dancer — better than me.
"Jordan is not part of the deaf com-
munity because he communicates
like a hearing person by listening and
speaking."
Brian hopes others will be inspired
by Jordan's life. "I hope the book moti-
vates any parent to do everything in
their power to get every possible ben-
efit for their children, no matter what
the challenge," he said.
Jordan wants readers to come away
with a new perspective on life.
"If there's something they dream
about doing, they have to go for it:' he
said. "I want people to look at me and
know that nothing is impossible:' 0
A reception to launch We Were
Relentless: A Family's Journey to
Overcome Disability will take place
at 4 p.m., Sunday, Feb.15, at the
Janice Charach Gallery inside the
West Bloomfield JCC. To RSVP,
e-mail info@wewererelentless.com
or call (248) 851-9757.
Books will be available for sale
and signing. Books are also avail-
able by accessing the Web site
at: www.wewererelentless.com .
To contact Jordan for speaking
engagements, e-mail:
Jordan@jordanlevin.com; call
(248) 683-4826; or access the
Web site: www.jordanlevin.com .