Samaritans restore little girl’s dignity

MBOMBELA – Giving birth to a child without an ear did not prevent the dream of the founder, Ms Viola Nwadike of Give an Ear Foundation to help children who were born with microtia and atresia, to help them hear sounds for their first time and to live a normal life as children.

Many people lack information about the nature of being born with microtia and atresia, which means being without an ear which prevents the hearing of a human being. Viola told her story to this publication with the aim of raising awareness regarding children who were born without ears.

She said some parents hid their children because they lacked information on what could be done to help a child live a normal life. Some of them felt ashamed and tended to hide the abnormality, for example by obscuring the it with hair or even isolating them from other kids.

After giving birth to her handsome baby boy, Viola was so happy as the whole family was expecting the child to be born and could not imagine how it would feel like to hold her own. But she felt disappointed and ashamed when she looked closer and found that her child had no ear.

“I don’t remember looking at any of my boy’s other fixtures, all I could see on that day was that ear location and as I felt a combination of guilt, confusion, shame, even fear rushing through my blood. “I concluded that I must have done something wrong, how could this happen to someone like me, a strong Christian, a worship leader and a leader at my local church?

“What followed were X-rays and hearing tests, and not much was said to us except that he could hear. My mom visited us in the evening to see the baby and I remember her saying ‘He is perfect’. I wept because I needed to hear that, and that was the first time I looked at this beautiful boy, and I fell in love with him.

“I remember the doctor handing the baby to me with as straight face, and he said, “Oh, I think he needs plastic surgery. My husband and I froze as we tried to comprehend the doctor’s message, at the same time the joyful triggers came to a halt. The doctor handed the baby and I saw for the first time this tiny little piece of skin where there was supposed to be an ear,” says Viola.

She said she felt helpless since the doctors had not given them information about the condition of her baby. A few weeks later, as she felt stronger, without a keywords or a name to describe this ear defect, we went onto the Internet and started researching this condition, and there it was: ‘microtia/atresia’.

“Equipped with adequate information sourced from the Internet, my husband and I visited a couple of plastic surgeons, most of whom had never performed such surgical procedures, and it was a hopeless case. We were in despair and desperate for answers and direction.”

She said she thought of mothers who had children born with these conditions who neither had access to the Internet, nor the financial capacity (like herself) to pay for the surgery. “I remember looking at my boy and making this declaration: ‘Because you were born like this, no child in Africa will ever again have to grow up without an ear.’

By the grace and wisdom of God, support from by beloved husband and friends I started the Give an Ear Foundation, with a primary task of giving counselling and support to families or guardians who cannot afford the reconstructive surgery for microtia and atresia in Africa.

Due to the remarkable role played by this foundation, it has been sponsored with hearing devices that cost R130 000 by a United States of America organisation, known as Air Community to help a girl, Pretty Mgwenya, free of charge. The South African Audiologist Association and Lowveld Hearing Centre helped her by doing tests and inserting the hearing aids.

Pretty expressed delight after realising that she could hear sounds and could even imitate what her mother was saying. Her mother, Xolisile Mgwenya, said life was not easy when her child was deaf. She urged parents not to hide their babies if they were born with this condition but that they had to go out there seeking help.

“I am really thankful to the Give an Ear Foundation for its help and I hope that the public will help us with funds so that she can have an ear,” she said.Give an Ear Foundation is pleading for sponsors around South Africa especially from the province so that they can help Pretty to undergo surgery to reconstruct her ears and jaws.

“The organisation is planning to take her to the US were she will be doing her surgery, so we ask for sponsorship locally. I would like to thank Lowveld Hearing Centre, Aticon Medical, Air Community and the South African Audiologist Associations,” said Nwadike. She urged the public to report such cases even when you are not a parent of the child.

“We are here to help, you don’t hide your child since if he/she grows without being helped, the condition will get even worse.” Their services are for free the only thing you need to do is to visit their offices or phone 072-266-0206 or 073-619-6670. There are no hidden fees, and help a child for free. If you are interested to donate you can call the above number or go to www.giveanearfoundation.org.