Meet Esraa: the woman who defied all odds to become the only deaf practicing dentist in Egypt at present. Despite being born with a disability, Esraa dared to dream big. She challenged societal norms and stereotypes to prove that “anything is possible” and a deaf person is just as capable of being a practical professional as any other person.
In Egypt, disabled individuals are generally labeled as unfit to become a practical professional. Despite discrimination and rejection from every mainstream school, Esraa stayed focused on achieving her goal. At the age of 17, Esraa received a cochlear implant. She inspired her parents to move to Bahrain so she could receive proper formal education along with speech therapy after school for 18 years. It was a challenging endeavor, to say the least. In Bahrain, Esraa studied in a school for normal children and excelled until she started applying to universities. After consistent rejections, one university made an exception and offered her a position. Esraa accepted this opportunity and set out on her journey of excellence.
Fast forward to present day, Esraa has graduated from dental school and is now a practicing dentist. Her patients are incredibly satisfied with her work and testify to no shortcomings or hindrances in terms of communication or compromise in the quality of her work. Esraa very confidently said,
“We’re all different, we all have our own weaknesses. But, weaknesses can be turned to strength. As long as you are strong, and you don’t care what others think, the whole universe will bend in front of you.“
The road to acceptance and final achieving her goals was incredibly tedious and troublesome. However, Esraa’s motivation and determination managed to overcome all the hurdles set in her way. She is now Egypt’s first and only practicing deaf dentist.
