Patricia Riley
Why it Began...
When I was a child up until the 5th grade, I could barely hear. I was placed in numerous speech pathology classes and special Ed classes and was always seated at the front of the classroom, hoping I would hear the teacher better. I underwent many operations, and doctors tried everything to restore my hearing. Then, in the fifth grade, my teacher, Mrs. Smith, gave me several IQ tests and declared, "This child is not stupid; she has a genius IQ. She is not Deaf and dumb."
My mother then rushed me to the orthodontist because my mouth was so small. The dentist pulled five teeth and placed a cranker (bar) across the roof of my mouth. This bar was attached to my back teeth on either side. Every night, my mother would turn the key in the bar once or twice, as much as I could handle. This cranking widened the roof of my mouth.
I cannot begin to tell you how painful this was for a little fifth-grade girl. But one day, while playing on the playground with my friends, I heard the school bell ring. I immediately stood up and said, "What is that sound?" All my friends looked at me in surprise and said, "Have you never heard the bell before? That is the recess bell telling us it's time to come in." Wow, I heard the bell for the first time!
The widening of my mouth had caused my Eustachian tubes to open. I could now hear! I began to recognize all sorts of sounds for the first time—bodily functions, the phone ringing, the doorbell, and my mother calling me home from playing outside with my friends. I had never heard my mother call me home before. Wow, I was so happy! The pain from the cranker in my mouth every night didn’t seem so bad anymore.
I raced home and grabbed one of our big dictionaries. Sitting down at the kitchen table, I began reading in the A's. My mother asked, "What are you going to do?" I looked up and smiled, exclaiming, "I am going to memorize every word in this dictionary!" My mother smiled back, knowing that I could hear.
My older sister Teresa began teaching me how to sound out words for the first time. We would sit every night, reading and rereading all the Dr. Seuss books I could get my hands on. I needed to make up for lost time.
Now, as an adult with two beautiful children, I feel incredibly blessed. I have a little over 60% of my hearing and a passion for helping the children of this world, just like Nugget the Clown, who inspires joy in their lives. You see, I truly believe that miracles can and will happen in everyone’s lives.
Everyone deserves a miracle! - Patricia Riley
How Nugget Started
What Am I Going to Be When I Grow Up...
I had just graduated with a B.A. in Communication Arts and Children’s Theater. I was working at Magnolia Elementary School in the communications department, assisting with the deaf children. One of the teachers I worked with is deaf and a very good friend of mine named Denise. Every once in a while, Denise would ask me to come to school dressed as Nugget the Clown and interact with the children. The deaf children loved this form of communication, especially Denise, who adored Nugget the Clown.
One day Denise asked me in sign language, “Patricia, what are you going to be when you grow up?” I signed back, “Oh, I don’t know Denise, maybe I will be President of the United States.” We both laughed, but then she signed again, this time a little more serious, asking, “Really, Patricia, what are you going to be when you grow up?” I looked at her and signed, “I don’t know Denise, maybe I’ll be a famous actress.” “No, don’t be an actress,” she said. “You’ll be much too busy and have no time for your family or the kids, and besides, there is no money in it.” Again, we both laughed. However, Denise was not satisfied, so for a third time she asked, this time a little frustrated yet curious, “Come on Patricia, really, what are you going to be when you grow up?”
Unsure of what to say, I answered her question with a question of my own: “I don’t know Denise, what do you want me to be when I grow up?” She smiled and signed, “Patricia, I want you to be a Clown for the Deaf. Growing up, I never had any toys that I could identify with, that I understood, or that made me feel special. I never had a toy that spoke my language or understood me. I want you to be a clown for the deaf!”
I stood there in awe, realizing the visual impact Nugget the Clown had made on her. What an incredible idea! It felt like a privilege to create toys and characters like Nugget the Clown that could open a new channel of communication and awareness. With all the inspiration I could muster, I signed to Denise, “I would be honored to be a clown for the deaf and create toys that the deaf children could have and communicate with in their own language. Yes, that is what I’ll be when I grow up. I’ll be Nugget the Clown for the Deaf!
Child posing with clown-themed dolls and person in clown costume.