Born in Oak Park, Illinois, Thomas Caulfield learned the importance of earning a degree from his parents, who were raised during the Depression and had no financial ability to enter college. His first job in higher education began in 1980. In the decade following, he earned four college degrees. Throughout his career, he has also presented and published at national and state levels. The true story of Ephphatha is a compilation of personal journal entries Dr. Caulfield painstakingly wrote over a twenty-year period. It documents the legendary journey of his Deaf son, Christopher, and his family's valiant attempts at helping Christopher be the best he could be.