His mother, Corene, father Dennis and younger sister, Jordan-Lee (6), sit on the couch and watch him enjoy himself.
From watching Ockert it would be hard to imagine that this happy, active boy has had a severe hearing problem since the age of three.
Corene and Dennis are hoping to raise money for their son’s second cochlear implant.
They are required raise the shortfall for the device, which amounts to R150 000.
Ockert’s hearing problem was first discovered by his parents when they noticed that he was not listening properly and had trouble hearing people speak.
His nursery school also noticed the problem, but thought he was just being disruptive.
Shortly after the observation, Ockert went for hearing tests and was diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss, which is primarily caused by abnormalities in the hair cells found in the cochlea, which results in deafness or hearing impairments.
Corene and Dennis did not know what to do.
“You don’t think it will happen to your child,” said Corene.
However, Ockert’s parents soon realised that they had to accept the diagnosis and try to give their son a “normal” life.
When the eight-year-old lost his hearing, he was fitted with two hearing aids, and even though these offered a level of hearing, he was still affected by his condition to such an extent that his ability to speak was impaired.
Ockert is currently a pupil at Muriel Brand School, a primary and secondary school that caters to the needs of disabled pupils.
Before the first cochlear implant Ockert was a very withdrawn child. He fell behind academically and never really participated with his friends due to his hearing.
But, since the first implant, which was done on November 3, 2014, his marks have improved dramatically.
Ockert’s social skills have also improved greatly since the first implant; he now can interact and communicate better with his friends and classmates
“He has come along very well in the past five months,” said Dennis, who added that his son is currently going to a specialised speech therapist in order to promote and speed up his learning process.
“From where he was to where he is now, is a miracle.”
According to the Longstaffs, Ockert has become a new child since the first implant and loves watching cartoons such as Ben Ten and Spider Man.
“Ockert has taken everything in his stride and I am really proud of him,” said Dennis.
For more information, visit the Ockert Longstaff Cochlear Fund Facebook page.
