Ann Pigg

Ann Pigg communicates without sound

The smile glows across her face then swells and dives into the crinkles around her eyes.  She radiates happiness.  

Ann smiles continuously, as if each thought that enters her mind calls upon a memory that wraps her heart in a cloud of strength, peace, and joy.

All this, conveyed just through facial expression.

Ann Pigg can’t speak.  She lost the ability to use her vocal cords when a stroke, triggered by stress, cut off blood supply to her brain.

Ann has a blood disease that causes the white blood cells to die then clot, which makes her susceptible to strokes.  She’s had two, the first one very mild. She lost her ability to speak for a while, but regained it after speech therapy.

Then Ann became pregnant.  After about five and half months, her disease formed blood clots in her brain and Ann suffered another stroke, this time more severe.  

Ann’s neighbor found her in the floor crawling for the door, trying to get help.  The neighbor immediately called Ann’s husband, Cedric.  He came to the rescue, took Ann to the emergency room, but the damage had been done.  Ann lost all capacity to use her vocal cords.

Just a few short weeks later, little Monique entered the world, only two pounds but healthy for the most part.

Ann’s Recovery

For two years, Cedric took care of Monique and his wife, who was paralyzed.  “I waited on her hand and foot,” says Cedric who says he doesn’t quit anything in the midst of adversity.  

Cedric says his wife bounced back quickly after those first two years of recovery. After that, Ann has had to rely on a form of communication that does not use sound.  Hand gestures, notepads, and snapping her fingers.  “I’m just glad to be here,” writes Ann.

Ann’s co-workers at Goodwill have learned to understand her. “Goodwill [accepted] extremely well.  Her boss is really understanding about when she gets sick,” says Cedric.

“Actually a lot of our communication happens when she writes things down, and by facial expressions and hand movements,” says Susie who’s been doing a lot of reading up on sign language.  

Ann has worked at Goodwill for almost three years now.  Making the career move to Goodwill meant more flexibility at work.  Since Ann’s vocal cords no longer function, she cannot swallow and must use a feeding tube to eat.  At her previous job, she had difficulty arranging her work schedule to accommodate her feeding routine.

Goodwill is a different story.  In 2006, she won Goodwill’s prestigious Retail Employee of the Year award.  

“I was so proud that she asked me to go with her to the [Annual Dinner] banquet (where Ann was honored),” says Susie Taylor, who started working just one week after Ann at Goodwill.

“She’s always helping out anywhere that’s needed,” says Susie.  “We’re a great team here.”  

Grandkids and wedding anniversaries

Now, Ann gets to experience the ultimate joy of a grandchild.  Her daughter, Monique, gave birth to a little boy, Edwin, just a little over one year ago.  

And, Ann and Cedric recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.  “He’s very attentive and protective,” says Susie.  Cedric accompanies Ann to all of her doctor’s visits.  “I’ve let it be known a couple of times that Ann’s no different than anybody else,” says Cedric who believes the public tends to react differently to people with disabilities.

Both husband and daughter can understand everything Ann is trying to say. “When you’ve been married as long as we have, you don’t have to talk,” says Cedric.