Britain's first deafblind doctor, Dr. Alexandra Adams, 32, asserts that her disabilities have uniquely equipped her for a career in medicine, enhancing her ability to connect with and treat patients. Adams, who was born deafblind and has limited vision and severe hearing loss, believes her heightened sense of touch and her experiences as a patient have made her a more empathetic and effective physician.
Adams's sharpened sense of touch has proven beneficial in performing medical procedures. She noted instances where she successfully inserted cannulas into patients with swollen veins after other medical professionals had struggled. Her ability to rely on touch over sight allows her to navigate these challenging situations effectively.
Technology plays a crucial role in Adams's practice. She utilizes a Bluetooth stethoscope that connects wirelessly to her hearing aids, enabling her to adjust volume, replay sounds, and view visual representations of heart sounds on her phone. This technology has even allowed her to detect subtle heart murmurs that were previously missed during consultant ward rounds.
Adams's perspective as a patient has profoundly shaped her approach to care. She recalled an incident where an elderly patient was believed to be refusing treatment, only for Adams to discover the patient simply could not hear because her hearing aids were misplaced. After rectifying the situation, the patient was able to communicate her end-of-life wishes. "She wasn't not being cooperative. It was because nobody had thought, 'Oh, maybe this patient's just deaf'," Adams stated. She emphasizes using empathy as a tool to make patients feel more comfortable, understanding the psychosocial elements of being hospitalized and the loss of independence and dignity.
Before embarking on her medical career, Adams was a promising para-swimmer training for the 2012 London Paralympics. However, complications from surgery at age 16 led to over a year of hospitalization, ending her athletic aspirations. During her recovery, a compassionate doctor's question, "Are you okay?" and her subsequent shared experience of having a scar, inspired Adams to consider a career in medicine, seeing empathy as a potential superpower.
Her resilience was further tested during the COVID-19 pandemic, during which she experienced multiple pulmonary embolisms, aspiration pneumonia, and sepsis, leading to a lengthy hospitalization. Despite these significant health challenges and past instances of prejudice, including a consultant questioning her suitability to treat patients due to her disabilities, Adams maintained her ambition.
Dr. Adams, who began her National Health Service career in Dorset last month, hopes her journey will challenge societal assumptions about disability and encourage greater open-mindedness and innovation. "At the end of the day, it wasn't my disabilities that were the obstacle. It was the perception of other people," she said. She expressed pride in her achievements, acknowledging that the realization of her lifelong ambition still feels surreal.