Born at Fort Riley, Kansas, actress Melanie Robel was born over eight weeks early, which resulted in her, being basically born deaf. This was the start of a challenging life. Melanie heard sound at the age of three and started talking at five. When her family was stationed in Germany, her mother discovered that she was deaf and as a result, she started school and was taught, "Total Communication" This includes: sign language, lip reading and vocalization. By the time Melanie graduated high school, she'd had twelve years of speech therapy. As an "Army Brat", there was a lot of moving around. In San Diego, doctors did experimental surgery on her bad ear which restored hearing in that ear. Melanie's family finally settled in Florida where she had some rambunctious teenage years while in high school. During this time, Melanie had set her sights on a career as a classical ballerina. After an…
