JQ DePaiva appears on All My Children
JQ DePaiva, the son of James "Jimmy" and Kassie DePaiva of One Life to Live, is a very unique little boy. The 10-year-old was born deaf and he and his family are using their experiences to hopefully help others. One way the family is doing this is having JQ guest on All My Children at the end of September.
The show, which currently has a storyline involving a deaf character, had previously spoke with Kassie and Jimmy about life since JQ’s diagnosis to make sure that they portrayed everything correctly. So when the producers of the show needed a little boy to guest, they immediately turned to the DePaivas.
He is playing Jason, who is a 10-year-old deaf child who had the cochlear implant, very similar to JQ, except they have written him as a big jock, and JQ is so not a jock.
JQ had a great time on the show and Kassie says that the staff and crew were amazing. However, that doesn’t mean that they didn’t have their glitches. Kassie states,
His cochlear implant went out in a scene. I saw him take off his devices and his battery had gone out. So everyone was panicking, but he can hear with one side, which is one reason we went for bilateral cochlear implant surgery. So we just waited and I said, ‘Next time, you always carry your battery in your pocket.’
The parents couldn’t be prouder of their son and it was evident by the grin on Kassie’s face as she said,
He really enjoyed it. It was great. He was like, ‘Can I buy dinner tonight?’ and I said, ‘No, it’s okay.’ I was so proud of him. You just have no idea how hard that little boy has worked to get to that place in his life where he can really pull it off.
And while Kassie is happy for her son, she hopes that he decides that he doesn’t like acting too much. She said,
Not that we wanted to put our son into show business at all. Because I don’t truly believe that children should be doing this, but he is doing this at a very special moment in his life. I’m saying this and I am going to knock on wood. I hope that he is not bitten by this to where he is crazy and is like, ‘I gotta do this! I gotta do this; where can I do some more?!’
Kassie is thrilled with how the storyline is playing out and even more excited that people will learn more about the League for the Hard of Hearing. The league is a non-profit hearing rehabilitation and human service agency for all who are hard of hearing, deaf and deaf blind.
I am really happy about how the story has been executed. It will be a great service to the hearing community and the non-hearing community. People will be informed and they are going to do some PSAs for the League for the Hard of Hearing, which is my huge soapbox.
Source: Soap Opera Digest
- Posted on Sep 4, 07 at 4:38PM
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- 6 Comments
September 4th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
I am wondering why he is referred to as being “unique” just for being deaf?? My son is deaf & I don’t consider him any more “unique” than my other children.
September 4th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
JQ is cute, looks just like his daddy.
September 4th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
YAY I am so excited for this…I LOVE Kassie and Jim and they have done such AMAZING things for causes related to hearing impairments and have raised so much money and so much awareness…they are an amazin family and i am excited to see JQ in his television debut…hehe
September 4th, 2007 at 10:07 pm
Lynn: I don’t think JQ is being referred to as unique because he’s deaf, I think it’s because it’s rare for a ten year old to use their own life challenges as a platform to help other people. That’s the kind of thing I would expect from an adult and not a child, so I do think that makes him unique.
September 10th, 2007 at 11:36 am
Do JQ’s parents use sign language to communicate with him? Is he still considered as a deaf person although he has cochlear implant?
September 11th, 2007 at 10:16 am
I hve always love “all my children” show.. I lve Blair. but she is crazy put her son risk life (cochlear implant)..Cuz she hve $$$. oh pls I don’t care if he is “unique” because he is deaf.. oh pls..he is only human and born deaf… he is unique deaf boy. The important I hope his family have opportunities see for themselves to learn sign language early and observe her deaf child’s communication with Deaf peers and professionals of what deaf child needs. so deaf child will hve right to grow up different bilingual (use sign langauge and speech) and it is her responsibility to help him do so.( make sure he not behind development)… love yall.