Help give Leah the gift of hearing
Baby Leah's parents are appealing to the community for donations of more than R370 000 to help her hear again.
Eleven-month-old Leah Strydom needs donations to help her receive the gift of hearing.
The soon-to-be one-year-old was born on September 23, 2023, and her family will be celebrating with great excitement considering it will also be Deaf Awareness Month.
According to Leah’s mother Amanda, her baby girl was born with a rare condition where she experienced different levels of hearing loss in both ears — something uncommon in congenital cases.
Amanda stated recently Leah’s left ear’s hearing has been deteriorating since the initial tests she had undergone. As a result, Leah’s left hearing aid is deemed insufficient. Now Leah requires a cochlear implant.
Besides the hearing loss, she has also been showing some developmental delays and physical tremors. After several follow-up tests and an MRI, they discovered a slight brain injury to the left side of her supra-tentorial brain.
“Despite this, we are deeply grateful to God our creator, as Leah’s brain has already begun to bypass the damaged area, forming new pathways to support her development. She is progressing well, albeit on her unique track. Her brain’s ability to adapt is nothing short of a miracle,” Amanda expressed.
However, despite the success of her brain injury healing, Leah’s hearing loss and developmental challenges affect her ability to hear and develop communication skills. To help Leah communicate with her disability, Amanda has been attempting to teach her South African Sign Language (SASL).
“We travel to Pretoria for all her medical appointments, and are hoping to find a speech pathologist in the area who can assist with her auditory training and speech therapy,” Amanda said.
Even though they are currently working on a solution to help Leah communicate, there are financial challenges.
“We are now faced with the challenge of raising R372 462 to cover the cost of the cochlear implant for Leah’s left ear to restore 80 to 100% hearing and support her overall development,” she explained.
Additionally, the speech therapy will also be added to the costs of Leah’s road to recovery.
“The past few months have been filled with emotional and financial stress for us as we navigate Leah’s medical needs and seek the best possible care for her,” she expressed.
Through it all, baby Leah still smiles brightly.
“Leah is a very happy baby, always laughing and playing. She has adapted to her hearing aids, showing a very good reaction when she has them on when they are put on, she immediately starts babbling,” Amanda spoke.
She added Leah lets them know when she is overstimulated and she has learned how to remove her hearing aids by herself. Although Amanda stated that the situation does not affect Leah emotionally as much, she claimed that the challenges feel like a mountain before them as parents.
“It is emotional and demanding. Watching Leah struggle with hearing loss and developmental issues while trying to provide her with the best possible care is both heart-wrenching and motivating. The support from friends and family has been a beacon of hope,” she said.
As a parent, Amanda would like to raise awareness about the potential complications that illnesses during pregnancy can cause. She added a simple virus can have far-reaching consequences that are difficult to foresee.
“We humbly ask for your prayers, support, and generosity as we seek to provide Leah with the cochlear implant she needs. We know that God works through the hearts and hands of His people, and we are trusting that He will provide. Every contribution brings us closer to giving Leah the gift of hearing,” she said.
She also expressed, “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being part of Leah’s journey. We give all glory to God for His provision and the blessings that are yet to come.”
Amanda has taken hands with the Foundation for Children with Hearing Loss in SA and they will be handling all donations and paying it to the departments.
If anyone would like to reach out to Leah’s parents, you can visit Leah’s Facebook page Baby Leah Strydom or contact Erika Basson on 012 333 3130. Also, send an email to info@hearingloss.org.za.
