Nail technician and mother Wendy Wuu wants to ensure her son feels seen and accepted. One way she’s done that is by creating hearing aids for the 5 year old’s “Toy Story” Woody doll. DJ, who is her youngest son, is a part of the deaf community.
“I Would’ve Never Thought That My Children Would Be Teaching Me,” she captioned the video.
In the video, viewers see Wuu using gel to mold the hearing aids and her nail file to inscribe her son’s name at the bottom of Woody’s boot, just like in the movie.
“I started customizing everything because I noticed very little representation of the deaf community,” explained Wuu as she worked. “And I wanted my child to feel accepted, so I started making things myself.”
Wuu also told viewers that if she’s learned nothing else in life it’s that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
“So instead of complaining about what we don’t have, I will make use of what we do have. You’ll always have a friend in me, your mom. Love you Deej,” Wuu said.
As the video continues, Wuu customized the hearing aid to match the cowboy theme that Woody embodied.
Representation Matters
Wuu attributes this hobby to the fact that representation matters. Therefore, she used her nail supplies to create more realistic toys. In addition to making hearing aids for DJ’s toys, she makes accessories for his hearing aids as well.
“I Have To Make All Of His Accessories,” she captioned the post.
Wuu also uses her social media platform to share her son’s story and advice with her followers. For instance, she recently spoke about moving her son to a school for deaf children. DJ was in a charter school, but she decided to enroll him in a different school this year. Wuu explained she wanted her son to be in an environment where he felt more comfortable, and teachers were more patient.