Sue Thomas (agent)
Sue Thomas ( born May 24, 1950 in Boardman, Ohio, USA ) is the first deaf woman who worked as an undercover for the FBI and under surveillance by lipreading suspects.
Life and education
Sue Thomas was born hearing, but lost at the age of 18 months their hearing. An adequate explanation for the deafness is not yet known. Thomas was an excellent lip reader and learned the American Sign Language. Speech therapist helped her in vocal development and they got talking. Sue was the only deaf child in her school district and was misunderstood by their teachers. Although she sat in the front row, so that she could read lips of her teachers, she missed much of what was going on in the classroom. The children harassed in the hallways and on the playgrounds. At the age of seven, she was with Hilfer the coach as freestyle skater youngest national champion Ohio in the history of this sport.
But in spite of all difficulties in school, graduated from Thomas Springfield College in Massachusetts and graduated in Political Science and International Relations.
Career with the FBI
After months of looking for work Sue Thomas heard that the FBI was looking for deaf people. After they first worked in a department for the analysis of fingerprints, she felt challenged quickly. She convinced her superiors of her excellent lip reading skills and finally looked at the side of Special Agent Jack Hogan, who mitentdeckte their applications, to undercover investigations with. Their skills were in demand especially when modern listening devices in the surveillance of suspects could not do anything. Thomas worked on cases of white collar crime, drug trafficking and corrupt government officials, but the FBI rules prohibited any further publication. Thomas worked for four years, from 1979 to 1983, the FBI.
TV
1990 Sue Thomas wrote her autobiography titled Silent Night, which was the basis for the later following television series.
2002 launched the TV series Sue Thomas: F.B.I. Pax TV network. The weekly broadcast series, created by Dave Alan Johnson and Gary R. Johnson written and inspired by Thomas ' unique work for the FBI, also caused more awareness about the lives and opportunities of people with physical disabilities.
The actress Deanne Bray, himself deaf, the main role played by the free submission and the experience of the real Sue Thomas. At the best of times, the series reached more than 2.5 million viewers in the United States and has been shown in 62 countries. Sue Thomas ' dog Levi her " animal replacement ear " was also shown in the series of a golden retriever named Jesse.
Since October 2009, the Official Sue Thomas are: FBEye DVD -s available.
Multiple sclerosis
In 2001, Thomas remarked during a public appearance in Dallas a creeping numbness of her fingers to the head. She completed her speech in front of 10,000 listeners, before she came to the emergency room. The diagnosis and living with multiple sclerosis has been the biggest challenge for Sue Thomas. In an online posting on the website of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, she wrote: " The fighting is a waste of valuable energy " and ". , Only when I assume the MS, I learn the biggest lesson of life" From 2002 to 2007, Sue Thomas MS Ambassador of the U.S. National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and has since been known as MS Warrior.
Levi Foundation
Thomas settled in with her specially trained dog Katie, who died at the age of nine years in May 2012, in Vermont down. Due to their experience, they planned the construction of a canine training center called The Levi Foundation.