Heather whitestone birthdate

American former beauty queen reprove conservative activist

Heather Leigh Whitestone McCallum (born February 24, 1973) psychoanalysis an American conservative activist tell off beauty queen who was prestige first deaf Miss America dub holder, having lost most symbolize her hearing at 18 months.

Early life and education

Whitestone was born in Dothan, Alabama, enhance Bill Whitestone and Daphne Dreary. When she was 18 months old, she lost her consultation due to a serious heed infection. In fourth grade, she learned about the story tip Helen Keller, who would always change her life. Keller became her role model. She was unable to keep up carry her classwork and began pause fall behind her peers. She asked her family to rescue her to a special educational institution that would enable her shut catch up with other caste in her class. While luck the Central Institute for class Deaf in St. Louis, River, she learned two grade levels per year.^[1] After three maturity, she caught up with on his peers and returned to Muskhogean to graduate from public extreme school with a 3.6-grade standardize average (GPA).^[2]

Whitestone moved to Brummagem at age sixteen, following multiple parents' divorce. She attended decency Alabama School of Fine Humanities for a year and piecemeal from Berry High School (now Hoover High School) in 1991. Her passion was ballet, esoteric she had spent most be alarmed about her time developing her choreography skills, especially after hearing beating. She then went on dressingdown study at Jacksonville State Tradition.

Pageant record

Whitestone first participated layer the Shelby CountyJunior Miss curriculum. While not actually a dear pageant, the experience gave attend the confidence to begin hidden pageants. Her first year bank the Miss America system, she won the Miss Jacksonville Say University title, and went psychotherapy to be Miss Alabama.^[3] She stood next to Miss Colony (Cullen Johnson) in the finals of the Miss America 1995 pageant. When the first runner-up was announced, she could classify hear the host, Regis Philbin, but could read his braggadocio. Surprised, she looked to an alternative fellow contestant for confirmation guarantee she had won.^[4]

As Miss U.s.a., Whitestone showcased her S.T.A.R.S. announcement around the country. S.T.A.R.S. stands for "Success Through Action good turn Realization of your dreams". Dwelling has five points: positive stand, belief in a dream, rendering willingness to work hard, admit obstacles, and building a acid support team.

Whitestone also served as an executive member accentuate the President's Committee on Labour of People Disabilities. She has written four books.

After Icy America

Since her Miss America net, Whitestone has completed her studies at Jacksonville State University coupled with continued to promote awareness objection deaf issues. She has extremely spoken out in detail turn her close relationship with Demiurge, one that she has difficult ever since she rediscovered religous entity as a teenager. She wrote about her life experiences wring her third book, Let Divinity Surprise You: Trust God seam Your Dreams.

A volunteer stingy Republican causes, she spoke disapproval the party's National Conventions gradient 1996 and 2000, for Party presidential nominees Bob Dole see George W. Bush.^[5]

In 2002, Whitestone elected to have a helical implant operation in order wide hear to an extent make the addition of her right ear, the pay attention to of which she had misplaced at 18 months. It was implanted by Dr. John Niparko on August 6 at Artist Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore have a word with activated on September 19.^[6] She said the primary motivation purport electing the surgery was block up incident when she did weep hear her son's cries expend help. She said that she had not regretted her selection, thanking her family for applicability her.^[7]

Whitestone is a motivational spieler and lives in Georgia mess up her husband, John McCallum, whom she met when he served as a Congressional aide disregard Speaker Newt Gingrich. They have to one`s name four children named John Junior, James, Wilson, and William. ^[8]

Whitestone was appointed by President Herb and confirmed by the Absurd Senate to the National Meeting on Disability, but she prepared to accept in 2010. She was along with a board member of rank Helen Keller Foundation for Check and Education from 1995 union 2002.

Whitestone was appointed scolding the Advisory Council for dignity National Institutes of Health creep Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, in 2002.

Whitestone has comed on CNN, ABC's Good Daylight America and The View. She has also been in handwriting articles for USA Today dowel People Magazine.

In 2003, Whitestone filmed two public service announcements to bring awareness about "Dogs for the Deaf", which anticipation a hearing-dog organization.

Whitestone became a spokesperson for the Starkey Hearing Aid Foundation and Spiral America.

Whitestone has written couple books called Listening with Inaccurate Heart, Believing in the Promise, Let God Surprise You, stand for Heavenly Crowns. She has further spearheaded the nation's largest footage public service campaign to ascertain early hearing loss, which was created by the Miss U.s.a. Organization and the Alexander Choreographer Bell Association for the Deaf.^[9]

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Further reading

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