The 1995 Miss America, Heather Whitestone lost her hearing, at 18 months of age. Doctors told her mother that a normal life for Heather was impossible. As a child, she learned to read lips and use a hearing aid. She spent six months re-learning to pronounce her own name. Assisted by special education teachers, she excelled in school, but had few friends. She became involved in pageants to earn scholarship money for college, but fared poorly at first, because she was unable to understand questions or directions. She eventually mastered the situation. Her positive attitude and inner...