Stunning 25-year-old makes history as the first ever DEAF contestant on The Bachelor

After Monday night’s season 25 premiere of The Bachelor, fans are going wild over the inclusion of the show’s first deaf contestant.

Abigail Heringer, a 25-year-old client financial manager from Beaverton, Oregon, is one of 32 women competing for the attention of Matt James, 29 — who is himself the show’s first black Bachelor.

But while she may have plenty of competition, Abigail is already a fan favorite, having stood out as the first-ever deaf person to compete on the reality show since it premiered on ABC in 2002.

Something new: After Monday night’s season 25 premiere of The Bachelor, fans are going wild over the inclusion of the show’s first deaf contestant

Standing out: Abigail Heringer, a 25-year-old client financial manager from Beaverton, Oregon, is one of 32 women competing for the attention of Matt James, 29

Abigail explained that she ‘was born completely deaf.’

‘So there’s something a little bit different about me,’ she told Matt when they met. ‘And that is I’m deaf. So I’m going to be reading your lips a lot tonight, but thankfully you have really beautiful lips. So I’m not complaining!’

‘I love that,’ he responded. ‘I’m gonna enunciate for you.’ 

The pair clearly hit it off, and were already kissing during a one-on-one chat the first night they met.

Moments later, he presented her with the First Impression rose.

Special skill: Abigail explained that she ‘was born completely deaf’ and told Matt she’d be reading his lips

Chemistry: The pair clearly hit it off, and were already kissing during a one-on-one chat the first night they met. Moments later, he presented her with the First Impression rose

History: Abigail was fitted with a cochlear implant at age two. She graduated from South Salem High School in Salem, Oregon in 2013 and studied finance at Linfield College

Fans of the show are smitten, too.    

‘I love The Bachelor. thrilled a hearing-impaired woman (@AbigailHeringer) is on @BachelorABC! I’m 90% deaf in my right ear due to Ménière’s disease. representation is so important,’ tweeted one viewer.

‘Love that lip reading showed up on #TheBachelor tonight thanks to @AbigailHeringer. My love story is almost 16 years strong and it is very much in thanks to my lip reading and @CochlearUS proud husband!’ wrote another.

Another shared a screengrab showing that searches for ‘cochlear implant’ were trending on Google.

‘This is why representation is important Clapping hands sign look at how many people are educating themselves on the deaf community and cochlear implants just from abigail’s story #TheBachelor,’ she wrote.

‘The first deaf bachelor contestant, i love it, i love it, i love it!!!! i love knowing someone like me can be represented on an extremely popular television franchise,’ yet another tweeted.

So pumped! Fans of the show are excited and have already called her out as a favorite

‘A deaf woman just got the first impression rose from the first Black bachelor. This is already going to be one of the best seasons,’ said one more.

Another put it quite simply: ‘Having a deaf girl on the bachelor is pretty dope. Not gonna lie.’

According to her show bio, Abigail ‘says that nothing makes her happier than enjoying a cold local microbrew on a beautiful Oregon day’. 

‘Having a hearing impairment never stopped Abigail from living her life to the fullest,’ it reads.

Abigail was fitted with a cochlear implant at age two and was immediately open about being deaf.

‘[My sister] is a year and a half older, so she kind of, like, paved the way,’ she said on the show. ‘I just followed in her footsteps. She was really vocal about telling people [about being deaf]. And then I was jus, like, “I’m second in line.” I follow her footsteps the entire way.’

Normalized: Others have stressed the importance of representation, with one showing how Google searches for ‘cochlear implant’ skyrocketed from the show

She graduated from South Salem High School in Salem, Oregon in 2013 and studied finance at Linfield College before getting a job as financial analyst for a Beaverton, Oregon–based event and marketing company, according to Glamour.

Speaking to The Statesman Journal, Abigail’s mom Suzie Heringer said: ‘She’s always made us proud, and she’s got a really good head on her shoulders, so I’m not worried about anything. Hopefully, she’ll have fun.’

Suzie also shared the advice she gave Abigail before she left to film.  

I jokingly told her to remember her grandparents will be watching. I know that will stick with her,’ she said.

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk

ncG1vNJzZmhqZGy7psPSmqmorZ6Zwamx1qippZxemLyue82erqxno6nCr7rIp55mamVixqat0WampZxdoq6ssdJmn6KrpKS%2FunnArGStoJVis6q%2B0q1knq6Vp3qlscCfZJynnqmytMDAp6tmp55iwamxjJuYnKCVobyzew%3D%3D