{"id":31194,"date":"2024-09-03T13:48:01","date_gmt":"2024-09-03T13:48:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/2024\/09\/03\/a-maine-camp-for-deaf-children-carries-on-after-an-unthinkable-loss\/"},"modified":"2024-09-03T17:36:16","modified_gmt":"2024-09-03T17:36:16","slug":"a-maine-camp-for-deaf-children-carries-on-after-an-unthinkable-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/2024\/09\/03\/a-maine-camp-for-deaf-children-carries-on-after-an-unthinkable-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"A Maine camp for deaf children carries on after an unthinkable loss"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-8864793242727901\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<header class=\"m-article-header m-article-header--standard\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span id=\"article-header-primary-term\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"a-term a-term--primary\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boston.com\/tag\/local-news\/\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLocal News\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"m-article-header__sub-headline\">For some of the 22 campers from around the state \u2014 many of whom are the only deaf or hard-of-hearing students in their small rural schools \u2014 it would be the only time all year they spent with peers who were like them in this way.<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"a-photo m-article-header__photo\"><figcaption class=\"a-photo__caption\">\n\tCampers cool off in the pond during Pine Creek Camp&#8217;s Dirigo Experience, a weeklong overnight camp for deaf or hard-of-hearing children, in Rome, Maine, on Aug. 22, 2024. <em> Chad Unger\/The New York Times<\/em>\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"m-article-header__meta\">\n<div class=\"m-article-header__byline\">\n<p class=\"m-article-header__author\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBy Jenna Russell, New York Times Service\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t    \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<time class=\"m-article-header__date\"><br \/>\n        \t\t\t\t\t\t\tSeptember 3, 2024 | 9:48 AM    \t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/time><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<p>ROME, Maine \u2014 As the three girls drew closer to their Maine summer camp one morning in August, text messages pinged between their separate cars as they tracked each other\u2019s progress toward their destination.<\/p>\n<p>Maya Fitts, 16, reported that she was only 17 minutes away. Autumn Laughlin, 11, chimed in; her ETA was almost exactly the same. Soon they would turn onto a dirt road that led through a forest of tall pines, rolling slowly down a steep hill until the shining surface of North Pond popped into view. The third friend, Ingrid Hagenbuch, 11, was delayed by a stop to buy a bathing suit.<\/p>\n<p>They had looked forward to this reunion since last August, and every minute mattered. Their weeklong overnight camp in Rome, Maine, <a href=\"https:\/\/pinetreesociety.org\/camp-home\/pinetreecamp\/dirigo-experience\/\">Pine Tree Camp\u2019s Dirigo Experience<\/a>, is the only one in the state exclusively for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. For some of the 22 campers from around the state \u2014 many of whom are the only deaf or hard-of-hearing students in their small rural schools \u2014 it would be the only time all year they spent with peers who were like them in this way.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m finally home,\u201d said Jayson Seal, 13, describing how he felt when he arrived. Like several other people interviewed for this article, he spoke through an American Sign Language interpreter.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns has-3-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-3 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_OOTD2VnN-66d70b2c20fae-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A camper applies lip balm during Pine Creek Camp's Dirigo Experience.\" class=\"wp-image-31544497\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_OOTD2VnN-66d70b2c20fae-scaled.jpg?width=200 200w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_OOTD2VnN-66d70b2c20fae-scaled.jpg?width=300 300w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_OOTD2VnN-66d70b2c20fae-scaled.jpg?width=400 400w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_OOTD2VnN-66d70b2c20fae-scaled.jpg?width=500 500w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_OOTD2VnN-66d70b2c20fae-scaled.jpg?width=600 600w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_OOTD2VnN-66d70b2c20fae-scaled.jpg?width=700 700w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_OOTD2VnN-66d70b2c20fae-scaled.jpg?width=800 800w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_OOTD2VnN-66d70b2c20fae-scaled.jpg?width=900 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A camper applies lip balm during Pine Creek Camp\u2019s Dirigo Experience, a weeklong overnight camp for deaf or hard-of-hearing children, in Rome, Maine, on Aug. 22, 2024. <i> \u2013 Chad Unger\/The New York Times<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_LoTWvmva-66d70acfc1dee-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Two girls swim in the lake while attending Pine Creek Camp's Dirigo Experience.\" class=\"wp-image-31544458\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_LoTWvmva-66d70acfc1dee-scaled.jpg?width=200 200w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_LoTWvmva-66d70acfc1dee-scaled.jpg?width=300 300w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_LoTWvmva-66d70acfc1dee-scaled.jpg?width=400 400w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_LoTWvmva-66d70acfc1dee-scaled.jpg?width=500 500w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_LoTWvmva-66d70acfc1dee-scaled.jpg?width=600 600w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_LoTWvmva-66d70acfc1dee-scaled.jpg?width=700 700w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_LoTWvmva-66d70acfc1dee-scaled.jpg?width=800 800w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_LoTWvmva-66d70acfc1dee-scaled.jpg?width=900 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Two girls swim in the lake while attending Pine Creek Camp\u2019s Dirigo Experience, a weeklong overnight camp for deaf or hard-of-hearing children, in Rome, Maine, on Aug. 20, 2024. <i> \u2013 Chad Unger\/The New York Times<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_QmT4YQY4-66d70b794139d-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Children in costume for an event at Pine Creek Camp's Dirigo Experience.\" class=\"wp-image-31544526\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_QmT4YQY4-66d70b794139d-scaled.jpg?width=200 200w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_QmT4YQY4-66d70b794139d-scaled.jpg?width=300 300w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_QmT4YQY4-66d70b794139d-scaled.jpg?width=400 400w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_QmT4YQY4-66d70b794139d-scaled.jpg?width=500 500w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_QmT4YQY4-66d70b794139d-scaled.jpg?width=600 600w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_QmT4YQY4-66d70b794139d-scaled.jpg?width=700 700w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_QmT4YQY4-66d70b794139d-scaled.jpg?width=800 800w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_QmT4YQY4-66d70b794139d-scaled.jpg?width=900 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Children in costume for an event at Pine Creek Camp\u2019s Dirigo Experience, a weeklong overnight camp for deaf or hard-of-hearing children, in Rome, Maine, on Aug. 20, 2024. <i> \u2013 Chad Unger\/The New York Times<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>His father, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boston.com\/news\/local-news\/2023\/10\/31\/deaf-family-grieves-father-beloved-community-leader-killed-maine-shootings\/\">Joshua Seal<\/a>, created the Dirigo Experience two years ago, determined to provide his four young children, and others across Maine, with an experience he never had as a deaf child growing up there: a traditional summer camp adventure alongside deaf and hard-of-hearing peers. The name comes from Maine\u2019s state motto, Latin for \u201cI lead.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Seal was supposed to be at camp this August, signing an exuberant welcome as campers emerged from their cars and darting around to ensure each one settled in.<\/p>\n<p>But he did not get to see the third season of the camp he started. Seal was among the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boston.com\/news\/local-news\/2023\/10\/26\/victims-identified-lewiston-maine-mass-shooting\/\">18 people killed in Lewiston, Maine<\/a>, on Oct. 25 of last year, when an assailant opened fire at a bar and a bowling alley. Seal, who was 36, was at the bar that night, playing in a weekly cornhole league with a group of deaf friends. Four of them were killed, devastating Maine\u2019s small deaf community.<\/p>\n<p>As the head of interpreter services for Pine Tree Society, a nonprofit that supports Maine residents with disabilities, Seal had become well known in the state during the coronavirus pandemic, interpreting in American Sign Language at news conferences held by Gov. Janet Mills. His dream of creating a camp was made possible by his ties to Pine Tree, which owned the property in Rome and had a <a href=\"https:\/\/pinetreesociety.org\/camp-home\/\">long history of running outdoor programs<\/a> for Maine children and adults with disabilities.<\/p>\n<p>Kevin Bohlin, a close friend of Seal who had partnered with him to start the camp, recalled that even in his shock and grief last fall, he was determined to make sure the camp endured.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_b0TRNvND-66d70a5ca9d81-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Children during an event called The Amazing Race at Pine Creek Camp's Dirigo Experience. \" class=\"wp-image-31544432\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_b0TRNvND-66d70a5ca9d81-scaled.jpg?width=200 200w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_b0TRNvND-66d70a5ca9d81-scaled.jpg?width=300 300w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_b0TRNvND-66d70a5ca9d81-scaled.jpg?width=400 400w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_b0TRNvND-66d70a5ca9d81-scaled.jpg?width=500 500w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_b0TRNvND-66d70a5ca9d81-scaled.jpg?width=600 600w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_b0TRNvND-66d70a5ca9d81-scaled.jpg?width=700 700w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_b0TRNvND-66d70a5ca9d81-scaled.jpg?width=800 800w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_b0TRNvND-66d70a5ca9d81-scaled.jpg?width=900 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Children during an event called The Amazing Race at Pine Creek Camp\u2019s Dirigo Experience, a weeklong overnight camp for deaf or hard-of-hearing children, in Rome, Maine, on Aug. 20, 2024. <i> \u2013 Chad Unger\/The New York Times<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_qvTLWyWB-66d70b5fd8fca-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Fionn McLaughlin with others at Pine Creek Camp's Dirigo Experience. \" class=\"wp-image-31544516\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_qvTLWyWB-66d70b5fd8fca-scaled.jpg?width=200 200w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_qvTLWyWB-66d70b5fd8fca-scaled.jpg?width=300 300w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_qvTLWyWB-66d70b5fd8fca-scaled.jpg?width=400 400w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_qvTLWyWB-66d70b5fd8fca-scaled.jpg?width=500 500w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_qvTLWyWB-66d70b5fd8fca-scaled.jpg?width=600 600w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_qvTLWyWB-66d70b5fd8fca-scaled.jpg?width=700 700w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_qvTLWyWB-66d70b5fd8fca-scaled.jpg?width=800 800w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_qvTLWyWB-66d70b5fd8fca-scaled.jpg?width=900 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fionn McLaughlin with others at Pine Creek Camp\u2019s Dirigo Experience, a weeklong overnight camp for deaf or hard-of-hearing children, in Rome, Maine, on Aug. 20, 2024. Fionn, a seventh grader, said he had shed some tears after lights out, when unwanted thoughts of zombies crowded in.  <i> \u2013 Chad Unger\/The New York Times<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2048\" src=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_4mT9VqVb-66d70a2444d79-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Children play at Pine Creek Camp's Dirigo Experience. \" class=\"wp-image-31544427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_4mT9VqVb-66d70a2444d79-scaled.jpg?width=200 200w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_4mT9VqVb-66d70a2444d79-scaled.jpg?width=300 300w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_4mT9VqVb-66d70a2444d79-scaled.jpg?width=400 400w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_4mT9VqVb-66d70a2444d79-scaled.jpg?width=500 500w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_4mT9VqVb-66d70a2444d79-scaled.jpg?width=600 600w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_4mT9VqVb-66d70a2444d79-scaled.jpg?width=700 700w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_4mT9VqVb-66d70a2444d79-scaled.jpg?width=800 800w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_4mT9VqVb-66d70a2444d79-scaled.jpg?width=900 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Children play at Pine Creek Camp\u2019s Dirigo Experience, a weeklong overnight camp for deaf or hard-of-hearing children ranging in age from 6 to 16, in Rome, Maine, on Aug. 22, 2024. <i> \u2013 Chad Unger\/The New York Times<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cMy first thought was, \u2018Camp\u2019s still on,\u2019 \u201d said Bohlin, who is also deaf, signing as he sat near North Pond one afternoon. \u201cIt was Josh\u2019s dream, but it\u2019s not about me or Josh. It\u2019s about the kids who need it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On the nights last winter when the loss felt overwhelming \u2014 when Bohlin stopped to ask his absent friend, \u201cC\u2019mon, man, why\u2019d this have to happen?\u201d \u2014 he persisted, pushing through the paperwork and planning so that Maya and her friends, and Seal\u2019s own children, could return to the same safe haven they had found last summer.<\/p>\n<p>None of them had ever fathomed having to return to camp without him. But as summer waned, and leaves at the tops of trees in Maine flared red, signaling the approach of fall and the looming anniversary of the shooting, it was a way to move forward while holding Seal close.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt feels like a sacred space to be in,\u201d said Liz Seal, Seal\u2019s wife, who served as a counselor at the camp while three of the couple\u2019s four children attended. \u201cWe feel his energy here, everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There was nothing solemn about the long, languorous days that the campers, who ranged in age from 6 to 16, spent at the sandy edge of North Pond. The camp, an hour north of Lewiston in the woodsy Belgrade Lakes region, differs little from others nearby for hearing children. Campers tie-dyed T-shirts, ran wild during a scavenger hunt, steered a pontoon boat toward an eagle\u2019s nest and debated the merits of Tater Tots at lunch.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns has-3-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-4 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_MlTdAaAR-66d70ab7573ec-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Kevin Bohlin, a close friend of Joshua Seal who had partnered with him to start the camp, during Pine Creek Camp's Dirigo Experience.\" class=\"wp-image-31544449\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_MlTdAaAR-66d70ab7573ec-scaled.jpg?width=200 200w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_MlTdAaAR-66d70ab7573ec-scaled.jpg?width=300 300w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_MlTdAaAR-66d70ab7573ec-scaled.jpg?width=400 400w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_MlTdAaAR-66d70ab7573ec-scaled.jpg?width=500 500w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_MlTdAaAR-66d70ab7573ec-scaled.jpg?width=600 600w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_MlTdAaAR-66d70ab7573ec-scaled.jpg?width=700 700w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_MlTdAaAR-66d70ab7573ec-scaled.jpg?width=800 800w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_MlTdAaAR-66d70ab7573ec-scaled.jpg?width=900 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kevin Bohlin, a close friend of Joshua Seal who had partnered with him to start the camp, during Pine Creek Camp\u2019s Dirigo Experience, a weeklong overnight camp for deaf or hard-of-hearing children ranging in age from 6 to 16, in Rome, Maine, on Aug. 22, 2024. <i> \u2013 Chad Unger\/The New York Times<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_GGTbLkLw-66d70a85d4098-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Liz Seal, a counselor, during Pine Creek Camp's Dirigo Experience. \" class=\"wp-image-31544439\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_GGTbLkLw-66d70a85d4098-scaled.jpg?width=200 200w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_GGTbLkLw-66d70a85d4098-scaled.jpg?width=300 300w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_GGTbLkLw-66d70a85d4098-scaled.jpg?width=400 400w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_GGTbLkLw-66d70a85d4098-scaled.jpg?width=500 500w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_GGTbLkLw-66d70a85d4098-scaled.jpg?width=600 600w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_GGTbLkLw-66d70a85d4098-scaled.jpg?width=700 700w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_GGTbLkLw-66d70a85d4098-scaled.jpg?width=800 800w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_GGTbLkLw-66d70a85d4098-scaled.jpg?width=900 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Liz Seal, a counselor, during Pine Creek Camp\u2019s Dirigo Experience, a weeklong overnight camp for deaf or hard-of-hearing children, in Rome, Maine, on Aug. 22, 2024. <i> \u2013 Chad Unger\/The New York Times<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_e9T2454K-66d70a6ccfbdf-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Jayson Seal, Joshua Seal's 13-year-old son, during Pine Creek Camp's Dirigo Experience.\" class=\"wp-image-31544436\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_e9T2454K-66d70a6ccfbdf-scaled.jpg?width=200 200w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_e9T2454K-66d70a6ccfbdf-scaled.jpg?width=300 300w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_e9T2454K-66d70a6ccfbdf-scaled.jpg?width=400 400w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_e9T2454K-66d70a6ccfbdf-scaled.jpg?width=500 500w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_e9T2454K-66d70a6ccfbdf-scaled.jpg?width=600 600w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_e9T2454K-66d70a6ccfbdf-scaled.jpg?width=700 700w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_e9T2454K-66d70a6ccfbdf-scaled.jpg?width=800 800w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_e9T2454K-66d70a6ccfbdf-scaled.jpg?width=900 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jayson Seal, Joshua Seal\u2019s 13-year-old son, during Pine Creek Camp\u2019s Dirigo Experience, a weeklong overnight camp for deaf or hard-of-hearing children, in Rome, Maine, on Aug. 22, 2024. <i> \u2013 Chad Unger\/The New York Times<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>With a mix of participants who sign and speak \u2014 or do both at once \u2014 the camp is rarely quiet. A tense dispute during a game of four square elicited bouts of impassioned signing, as well as very audible howls of outrage. A loud, lively mix of popular music \u2014 Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Lana Del Rey \u2014 played at the beach during morning swim, as Maya and her friends stood waist deep in the water holding hands, then dunked.<\/p>\n<p>Later, back in Cabin 2, Maya broke out a few exuberant dance moves and showed off a stack of handmade friendship bracelets. The three girls had polled everyone at camp on their favorite colors, pretending it was for a survey; in secret, they planned to craft a bracelet for every camper and staff member by the time camp disbanded.<\/p>\n<p>It was the unspoken understanding between them, they explained, that made their week together special. \u201cHere, if I say \u2018What?\u2019 because I missed something, my friends will repeat it,\u201d Autumn said. \u201cAt home I have a friend who\u2019s sensitive, who sometimes gets mad if I ask her to repeat things, even though she knows I\u2019m hard of hearing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At her school, Ingrid said, she is the only student who wears hearing aids, which connect to a special microphone that her teachers wear around their necks. \u201cAt camp, everyone understands what it\u2019s like,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<p>It wasn\u2019t always easy to be away from home. Fionn McLoughlin, a seventh grader, said he had shed some tears after lights out, when unwanted thoughts of zombies crowded in. Kari Barry, 13, missed her mom, and worried about the one night when the campers would sleep outdoors.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m scared an animal might come in the night,\u201d Kari said, \u201cand no one would hear it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her counselor, sitting nearby, quickly reassured her.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_ndT5GmGk-66d70a9b80a14-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Campers goofing around during Pine Creek Camp's Dirigo Experience.\" class=\"wp-image-31544441\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_ndT5GmGk-66d70a9b80a14-scaled.jpg?width=200 200w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_ndT5GmGk-66d70a9b80a14-scaled.jpg?width=300 300w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_ndT5GmGk-66d70a9b80a14-scaled.jpg?width=400 400w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_ndT5GmGk-66d70a9b80a14-scaled.jpg?width=500 500w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_ndT5GmGk-66d70a9b80a14-scaled.jpg?width=600 600w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_ndT5GmGk-66d70a9b80a14-scaled.jpg?width=700 700w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_ndT5GmGk-66d70a9b80a14-scaled.jpg?width=800 800w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_ndT5GmGk-66d70a9b80a14-scaled.jpg?width=900 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Campers goofing around during Pine Creek Camp\u2019s Dirigo Experience, a weeklong overnight camp for deaf or hard-of-hearing children, in Rome, Maine, in the woodsy Belgrade Lakes region, on Aug. 22, 2024. <i> \u2013 Chad Unger\/The New York Times<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"2048\" src=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_avT7Brpl-66d70a418391b-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A counselor converses with a camper in American Sign Language during Pine Creek Camp's Dirigo Experience. \" class=\"wp-image-31544428\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_avT7Brpl-66d70a418391b-scaled.jpg?width=200 200w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_avT7Brpl-66d70a418391b-scaled.jpg?width=300 300w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_avT7Brpl-66d70a418391b-scaled.jpg?width=400 400w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_avT7Brpl-66d70a418391b-scaled.jpg?width=500 500w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_avT7Brpl-66d70a418391b-scaled.jpg?width=600 600w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_avT7Brpl-66d70a418391b-scaled.jpg?width=700 700w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_avT7Brpl-66d70a418391b-scaled.jpg?width=800 800w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_avT7Brpl-66d70a418391b-scaled.jpg?width=900 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A counselor converses with a camper in American Sign Language during Pine Creek Camp\u2019s Dirigo Experience, a weeklong overnight camp for deaf or hard-of-hearing children, in Rome, Maine, on Aug. 22, 2024. With a mix of participants who sign and speak \u2013 or do both at once \u2013 the camp is rarely quiet. <i> \u2013 Chad Unger\/The New York Times<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_OOTD2Vbm-66d70b116906b-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Campers wait to dive into the pond during Pine Creek Camp's Dirigo Experience.\" class=\"wp-image-31544488\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_OOTD2Vbm-66d70b116906b-scaled.jpg?width=200 200w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_OOTD2Vbm-66d70b116906b-scaled.jpg?width=300 300w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_OOTD2Vbm-66d70b116906b-scaled.jpg?width=400 400w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_OOTD2Vbm-66d70b116906b-scaled.jpg?width=500 500w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_OOTD2Vbm-66d70b116906b-scaled.jpg?width=600 600w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_OOTD2Vbm-66d70b116906b-scaled.jpg?width=700 700w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_OOTD2Vbm-66d70b116906b-scaled.jpg?width=800 800w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_OOTD2Vbm-66d70b116906b-scaled.jpg?width=900 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Campers wait to dive into the pond during Pine Creek Camp\u2019s Dirigo Experience, a weeklong overnight camp for deaf or hard-of-hearing children, in Rome, Maine, on Aug. 20, 2024. <i> \u2013 Chad Unger\/The New York Times<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>An hour or two later at an outdoor drama class, such fears had been forgotten. Fionn donned a wig and strummed a pink inflatable guitar, sweetly singing the Beatles\u2019 \u201cYesterday\u201d without an ounce of self-consciousness.<\/p>\n<p>The camp\u2019s enrollment has grown from nine in 2022 to 22 this August. Bohlin dreams of one day filling its six cabins to capacity, drawing as many as 100 campers from Maine and across the country.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are roughly 850 deaf or hard-of-hearing kids in Maine \u2014 where are they?\u201d he said. \u201cThey should be here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Meli Stamp, a camp counselor, said campers trade advice about roadblocks they encounter in the hearing world, as well as recommendations for helpful cellphone apps and other tools, effortless discussions that they might be less likely to have with adults.<\/p>\n<p>The camp experience can transform the children\u2019s vision of their own potential, Bohlin said. He recalled one 8-year-old camper who was stunned to realize that the camp was run by deaf adults.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe said to me and Josh, \u2018Are you both deaf?\u2019 and I said yes, and he said, \u2018What about them?\u2019 I said, \u2018Yeah, them, too.\u2019 And he said, \u2018I thought deaf people died younger.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lounging on the grass during swim time \u2014 while intermittently besieged by younger campers begging him to come and swim \u2014 Darris Winship, 16, said that \u201cpeople often think deaf people are stupid, that they can\u2019t be \u2018normal.\u2019 But we are so capable. My dad is completely deaf and mute, and he\u2019s so talented with his hands, woodworking, drawing, painting, gardening.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_NKTn3xdg-66d70aff0d326-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Two campers race to the pond during Pine Creek Camp's Dirigo Experience.\" class=\"wp-image-31544478\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_NKTn3xdg-66d70aff0d326-scaled.jpg?width=200 200w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_NKTn3xdg-66d70aff0d326-scaled.jpg?width=300 300w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_NKTn3xdg-66d70aff0d326-scaled.jpg?width=400 400w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_NKTn3xdg-66d70aff0d326-scaled.jpg?width=500 500w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_NKTn3xdg-66d70aff0d326-scaled.jpg?width=600 600w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_NKTn3xdg-66d70aff0d326-scaled.jpg?width=700 700w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_NKTn3xdg-66d70aff0d326-scaled.jpg?width=800 800w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_NKTn3xdg-66d70aff0d326-scaled.jpg?width=900 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Two campers race to the pond during Pine Creek Camp\u2019s Dirigo Experience, a weeklong overnight camp for deaf or hard-of-hearing children, in Rome, Maine, on Aug. 22, 2024. <i> \u2013 Chad Unger\/The New York Times<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_QmT4YQxV-66d70b45b9ea9-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A camper chases a chicken around during Pine Creek Camp's Dirigo Experience. \" class=\"wp-image-31544506\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_QmT4YQxV-66d70b45b9ea9-scaled.jpg?width=200 200w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_QmT4YQxV-66d70b45b9ea9-scaled.jpg?width=300 300w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_QmT4YQxV-66d70b45b9ea9-scaled.jpg?width=400 400w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_QmT4YQxV-66d70b45b9ea9-scaled.jpg?width=500 500w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_QmT4YQxV-66d70b45b9ea9-scaled.jpg?width=600 600w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_QmT4YQxV-66d70b45b9ea9-scaled.jpg?width=700 700w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_QmT4YQxV-66d70b45b9ea9-scaled.jpg?width=800 800w, https:\/\/bdc2020.o0bc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/https___nytapi.wieck_.com_feed-photos_QmT4YQxV-66d70b45b9ea9-scaled.jpg?width=900 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A camper chases a chicken around during Pine Creek Camp\u2019s Dirigo Experience, a weeklong overnight camp for deaf or hard-of-hearing children, in Rome, Maine, on Aug. 22, 2024. <i> \u2013 Chad Unger\/The New York Times<\/i><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The deaths of Seal and his friends in Lewiston last year focused new attention on Maine\u2019s deaf community, and its needs, after deaf people <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pressherald.com\/2023\/11\/19\/shut-out-how-the-deaf-community-was-forgotten-during-the-lewiston-shootings\/#:~:text=Deaf%20and%20hard%20of%20hearing%20people%2C%20including%20Elizabeth%20Seal%2C%20were,had%20been%20there%20playing%20cornhole.\">struggled to access information<\/a> after the shooting. Matt Webster, a camp counselor and deaf community advocate, said he is pushing the state to do a better job of informing them in future emergencies.<\/p>\n<p>In the wake of their losses, Liz Seal said, Maine\u2019s deaf community has grown closer, with more frequent, better attended gatherings. This fall, she plans to compete on a cornhole team like her husband\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p>First, though, she savored watching her children, and the other campers Joshua Seal knew well, revel in their week at camp together. When memories surfaced, the campers spoke of him instead of tiptoeing around the subject. \u201cIt\u2019s refreshing, their candid way of being,\u201d Liz Seal said.<\/p>\n<p>At night, while some campers gathered by the fire, others spread out on the lawn, playing a fiercely competitive game of \u201cRed Light, Green Light\u201d with one modification: Instead of calling out commands to stop and go, the leader turned around to signal when the runners could advance, then spun back again to stop them.<\/p>\n<p>Sitting by the fire one night, Seal\u2019s two older children noticed right away when one of the string lights draped above their heads suddenly began to flare and flicker.<\/p>\n<p>To them, it could mean just one thing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe saw it blinking,\u201d 10-year-old Sephine Seal signed, \u201cand we knew that it was Dad.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>This article originally appeared in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/09\/02\/us\/maine-deaf-camp.html\">The New York Times<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"m-block m-generic-cta\t m-generic-cta--post-content\t m-generic-cta--dark\t m-generic-cta--homepage\t m-generic-cta--email-signup\t\t m-generic-cta-block-style--default \tt-amp__generic-cta\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"m-generic-cta__wrap\">\n<div class=\"m-generic-cta__content\">\n<h3 class=\"m-generic-cta__title\">Extra News Alerts<\/h3>\n<p class=\"m-generic-cta__subtitle\">Get breaking updates as they happen.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><script>\n\t\tvar consent=\"grant\";\n\t\t\/* The above code is parsing the JSON data from the local storage and storing it in a variable. *\/\n\t\t\t\t\tconst onetrustStorageConsent = JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem( 'consent_one_trust_bdc' ) );\n\t\t\tif ( ( onetrustStorageConsent !== null ) ) {\n\t\t\t\t\/* Checking to see if the user has consented to the use of cookies.\n\t\t\t\t* If they have not, it is deleting the cookie.\n\t\t\t\t* This will comment for now, until further notice.\n\t\t\t\t*\/\n\t\t\t\t\/\/if ( onetrustStorageConsent.C0002 === false ) {\n\t\t\t\t\/\/\tdocument.cookie=\"_fbp=;expires=Thu, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 UTC; path=\/; domain=.boston.com\";\n\t\t\t\t\/\/}\n\t\t\t\t\/* Checking if the user has given consent for the cookie C0002.\n\t\t\t\t* If the user has given consent, the variable consent will be set to 'grant'.\n\t\t\t\t* If the user has not given consent,the variable consent will be set to 'revoke'.\n\t\t\t\t* Documentation https:\/\/developers.facebook.com\/docs\/meta-pixel\/implementation\/gdpr\n\t\t\t\t*\/\n\t\t\t\tif ( onetrustStorageConsent.C0002 !== true ) {\n\t\t\t\t\tconsent=\"revoke\";\n\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\t!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n\t\t{if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n\t\tn.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n\t\tif(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n\t\tn.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n\t\tt.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n\t\ts.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script',\n\t\t'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n\t\tfbq('consent', consent);\n\t\tfbq('init', '989222871864976');\n\t\tfbq('track', 'PageView');\n\t<\/script><script type=\"module\">\n\t\tvar consent=\"grant\";\n\t\t\/* The above code is parsing the JSON data from the local storage and storing it in a variable. *\/\n\t\t\tconst onetrustStorageConsent = JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem( 'consent_one_trust_bdc' ) );\n\t\t\t\/* Checking to see if the user has consented to the use of cookies.\n\t\t\t* If they have not, it is deleting the cookie.\n\t\t\t* This will comment for now, until further notice.\n\t\t\t*\/\n\t\t\t\/\/if ( onetrustStorageConsent.C0002 === false ) {\n\t\t\t\/\/\tdocument.cookie=\"_fbp=;expires=Thu, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 UTC; path=\/; domain=.boston.com\";\n\t\t\t\/\/}\n\t\t\t\/* Checking if the user has given consent for the cookie C0002.\n\t\t\t* If the user has given consent, the variable consent will be set to 'grant'.\n\t\t\t* If the user has not given consent,the variable consent will be set to 'revoke'.\n\t\t\t* Documentation https:\/\/developers.facebook.com\/docs\/meta-pixel\/implementation\/gdpr\n\t\t\t*\/\n\t\t\tif ( ( onetrustStorageConsent !== null ) && (onetrustStorageConsent.C0002 !== true ) ) {\n\t\t\t\tconsent=\"revoke\";\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\t!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()\n\t\t{n.callMethod? 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