Every year, between one in every 1,000 to 2,000 babies is born deaf or hard of hearing. For about 90% of these children, they’re born into hearing families, families who suddenly begin a journey they never expected.
Maxine and Raymond Raffle were one such family. Their daughter, Lonene “Lonnie” was diagnosed as deaf at 18 months old. From that moment forward, they walked beside her as she carved out a life that defied limitation. Lonnie embraced everything, community, friendship, love, motherhood. Her world expanded, even as society tried to shrink it.
Her husband was also deaf. Their children, however, were hearing; what’s known as CODAs: Children of Deaf Adults. For Lonnie’s daughter, Alison, that meant stepping into the role of translator, advocate, and bridge between two worlds, sometimes before she was old enough to truly understand what that meant.
Then, when Alison was just five years old, Lonnie disappeared.
Alison has made it her mission to share her mother’s story. On this show, we always strive to include the voices of those closest to the story. But we also understand the emotional weight that comes with retelling deep personal trauma. When we spoke with Alison, she chose not to be interviewed for this episode, and we fully respect that. Instead, with her permission, we’ve drawn from the interviews she’s previously given, as well as publicly available records and reporting. Alison graciously reviewed the research for accuracy, and gave us her blessing to move forward. What you’ll hear today is shared with her care, her trust, and her enduring hope for justice.
This is Lonnie’s story, and the story of the daughter she was taken from 43 years ago.
If you have any information that could help solve Lonnie’s case, please call the Pennsylvania State Police at 814-332-6911.
Help Alison Raise Awareness for Her Mother's Case:
Facebook Group - "Justice For Lonene": https://www.facebook.com/groups/285829136570490/
Sign the Lonnie's Law Petition: https://www.change.org/p/grant-families-of-missing-persons-access-to-police-files-after-a-period-of-20-years
Alison's Book - "A Daughter's Journey: ...and Story of Resilience" :https://www.amazon.com/Daughters-Journey-Story-Resilience/dp/B09RLY9L9M
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Music Used:
Walking with the Dead by Maia Wynne
Link: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Maiah_Wynne/Live_at_KBOO_for_A_Popcalypse_11012017
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Glitter Blast by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4707-glitter-blast
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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