Ardently signing his hopes and dreams for the deaf community in Jamaica
to the Observer, McDonald cut a picture of tenacity and drive, which the
loss of speech and hearing only made more intense.
"When I found out I was deaf it really didn't mean anything to me, it's
not much of a problem, I believe I can do anything except hear," he said
looking almost cheeky.
Never mind that he never knew his father or that he is the "only deaf
person in (his) family" or that his mother — his source of inspiration —
died leaving him and his five siblings to carry on, his demeanour shows
no bitterness.
"It was difficult especially after my mother died leaving five
children," he confesses. Though the woman who gave him the will to shape
his "sound" was gone, the lesson of no retreat had been well cemented.
"My youngest sister is 11 and I took her to live with me; she says I'm
like her father and brother at the same time. She is a good girl, she's
doing well in school too. I just wish the communication between us was
better but she is learning sign language so it's OK," he said, smiling.
Today the 31-year-old professional is the founder, president and CEO of
Deaf Sport Jamaica, and has been ardently pushing for the deaf community
to be involved in athletics. He is also the clerical assistant and the
systems administrator at the Lister Mair Gilby High School.
"My future looks bright," the single father of one daughter said
confidently. That future includes bright dreams that he is expecting to
benefit others like himself.
"I want to set up my own business in computer technology. But at the
same time I am thinking of setting up a video relay centre for the deaf.
[That is] a telecommunication system where you can communicate using
sign language," McDonald shared.
"It will be similar to Skype but it will be connected to the television and not to the computer," he said.
"I want to start out at the home level using the television and then add
the feature for the cellphone. So they will call and the call will pop
up on the television screen, if they are not at home it will transfer to
the cellphone," he added.
