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 schoo ...