Page 6 - Real Rochdale Issue 22 Summer 2024

LORENZA PYE:
WOMAN of rochdale 2024
Lorenza with her mum Michelle and eldest daughter Mya
Mum of two Lorenza Pye, 37, was crowned this year’s Woman of
Rochdale for her tireless work in making British Sign Language
more accessible to hundreds of Deaf and non-verbal children in the
Rochdale borough.
Having previously worked in banking, Lorenza
– who holds a level six qualification in British
Sign Language (BSL) – set up her own free app
and now runs the Eliza Says Rhyme and Sign
classes, where she teaches a “very basic”
version of BSL to “break down barriers
between SEN [Special Education Needs] and
mainstream.”
Lorenza, of Milnrow, initially began
learning British Sign Language after her
youngest daughter, Eliza, seven, was born with
CHARGE syndrome – a complex genetic
condition named after some of its symptoms –
which affects her breathing, eating and hearing.
REAL ROCHDALE - SUMMER 2024
“I was devastated; I’m not ashamed to admit
Photos : Ken Rowlatt
Eliza spent the first 10 weeks of her life in
hospital, undergoing a tracheostomy when she
was just seven weeks old to help her breathe
She was non-verbal for the first few years of
her life with Lorenza saying “she couldn’t make
any sound and I didn’t hear her laugh or cry for
maybe four years.”
“We didn’t know there were any complications
until after she was born and it was a bit of a
whirlwind,” Lorenza said. “We found out she
was deaf at around two months old and we’d
just come home from hospital. Eliza had fought
really hard to be alive for those 10 weeks and
we’d overcome a lot.
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there were a few tears. I’d never met anyone
Deaf before having Eliza; I’d never really had
any experience of people with disabilities in
general. She was the first person I met with
complex needs who is Deaf.”
Whilst Eliza still has regular medical
appointments and relies on a feeding tube, she
now uses BSL to communicate and currently
attends a mainstream school with one-to-one
support.
Lorenza and her family were advised to learn
sign language, with Eliza proving to be “a
natural signer” after taking to it quickly, but
it quickly became apparent that support was
limited.
Lorenza began learning BSL from a Deaf native
user of the language, which she said “has been
really helpful for me to understand.”
BSL has its own grammar and is structured
differently to English. It was first recognised
as a language in 2003 and only became a legal
official British language in 2022. Lorenza with last year’s winner, Jenny Kennedy
Lorenza said: “Learning sign language is but want to make it more inclusive for children
expensive and it’s not accessible. We need to who do, which is a fantastic reason to learn.
shout more about keeping BSL alive. It can be
adapted to anyone, and you don’t have to use it “We’re all in it together, and that’s a huge part
forever.” of my job and why people have connected with
Eliza Says. It’s not only the sign language, I’m
It was from this that the first iteration of Eliza living the same life, I’ve got the same
Says was created during lockdown, a free app experience. They love to meet Eliza and she’s
that teaches 100 BSL words, which made an inspiration to other families to show
Lorenza realise “that’s what I wanted to do.” children can achieve with disabilities.
The first Eliza Says sessions took place at Little “There is a lot of negativity, especially around
Hens in Milnrow, and now Lorenza teaches disabilities, hearing loss and being deaf, so it’s
more sing and sign sessions across the really good to share the positive things. I’m
borough, having branched out to teach children really big on inclusion and celebrating how
with SEN, schools, nurseries and SEN schools. unique we all are, which I’m always trying to
She also volunteers her time using sign say to my children.
language to help support Deaf adults with
cancer and wellbeing groups. “That’s what makes us wonderful.”
She added: “Everyone’s learning at the same You can find out more about Eliza Says via the
time. Lots of families are trying to learn ‘Elizasays’ Facebook page.
because the child needs it but sometimes, we
do meet families who don’t have those needs, The Eliza Says app is free to download for iOS.
REAL ROCHDALE - SUMMER 2024