The gift of hearing for a two-year-old
Mother started to notice that her son was not reacting to sounds
JOHANNESBURG SOUTH – The world of a two-year-old Mbongeni Dlamini was rocked when he received a gift he will remember forever; a cochlear implant from the 947 Bidvest Hear for Life Trust during a surgery on Tuesday October 28.
Mbongeni was diagnosed with a bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, which could be attributed to a genetic element. This meant that he was profoundly deaf, and most probably had been since birth.
But on Tuesday, after the surgery, Mbongeni’s mother Nandi Dlamini, his father Bheki Zakwe and his grandmother Susan Dlamini could not find the right words to express their appreciation, excitement and joy.
This was one of those moments everyone at the hospital could witness as a moment the family will remember forever and hold close to their hearts.
The mother could barely speak as she witnessed her son receive one of the many gifts 947 Bidvest Hear for Life Trust blessed families with.
The announcement about the gift Mbongeni was about to receive was made on the Breakfast Xpress, when 94.7 Highveld Stereo show host Darren Simpson spoke to Dr Mol ahead of the surgery.
Dr Mol thanked Darren for donating money made through the sales of his CDs to this worthy cause, which goes towards the cochlear implant surgery.
Dr Mol explained that Mbongeni was born on Tuesday March 13 in 2012 via Caesarean section and all seemed well.
When he was four months old his mother noticed he would not cry when a loud sound was heard.
He also did not startle when she clapped her hands. When he did not develop any speech sounds except “vroom, vroom” when playing with his cars at around 20 months, his mother started to investigate other possibilities.
She arrived at the Johannesburg Cochlea Implant Centre after first consulting Dr Mol, who first recognised that Mbongeni’s hearing was severely decreased. After undergoing some tests, it was clear that Mbongeni was profoundly deaf.
Mbongeni’s parents, who hail from KwaZulu Natal, were forced to leave him with his grandmother in Johannesburg so that she could accompany him to weekly therapy sessions, some 100km from her house.
Mbongeni underwent numerous therapy sessions and showed an incredible response to tests. It is for these reasons that Mbongeni is a deserving candidate for a cochlear implant.
“We are so delighted that this intelligent little boy will get the chance to hear his mother’s voice for the first time soon, the first step to making a name for himself in this Rainbow nation,” said Dr Mol. “God Bless Hear For Life!”
The 947 Bidvest Hear for Life Trust funds a number of these operations annually. Proceeds from sales of Whackhead’s annual CDs also go towards the Hear for Life Trust.
For more information about Hear for Life, visit www.hearforlife.co.za
