Valerie James Abbott and daughters, Mary Clare and Bridget, Discuss Their Book, Padapillo!

Valerie James Abbott is an author, a parent-champion for early hearing detection and intervention programs, and an active promoter of parent-to-parent support organizations. She is also co-founder of national Late Onset Hearing Loss Awareness Week (May 4-10). A native of Long Island and a graduate of Hollins University, Valerie has served on boards and state councils that are dedicated to serving families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Her debut book Padapillo was published on May 4, 2021.

Mary Clare (19) graduated from Douglas S. Freeman High School in Richmond, Virginia in June 2020. She has served as a youth editor and book launch logistics coordinator for her family's Padapillo book project. Mary Clare will attend Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia in September 2021 and plans to major in psychology. Bridget/Bridie (16) is a sophomore at Douglas S. Freeman High School. She was identified with hearing loss when she was 2.5 years old and benefitted from bilateral hearing aids and Auditory-Verbal Therapy. Bridie has played violin for more than 10 years and is passionate about introducing children who are deaf and hard of hearing to the joys of music.