“When my friends talk to me from my left side, I can’t hear them. In class, if my classmates speak on my right side, I also struggle to hear the teacher’s instructions.”

Chan Yu Zee, an 11-year-old girl from Bukit Mertajam, Penang, responded normally to sounds from birth until the age of five. However, at the age of six, she was diagnosed with hearing loss in both ears and began using hearing aids. At the age of seven, she underwent cochlear implant surgery for her right ear, which partially restored her hearing. Despite this, she still faces challenges with her hearing.

During a follow-up consultation in August this year, doctors confirmed that her left ear is now suitable for cochlear implant surgery. This procedure would enable her to hear with both ears and pursue her dreams. However, the surgery costs RM80,000, and Yu Zee’s parents can only afford RM20,000, leaving a shortfall of RM60,000.

【I Wanted to Learn Street Dance but Switched to Piano Due to My Cochlear Implant Falling Off. Now I’ve Passed Grade 3 and Dream of Becoming a Piano Teacher】

When Chan Yu Zee was a child, her speech was unclear. Her parents thought it was due to a short tongue and didn’t pay much attention. When she didn’t respond to their calls, they assumed she was simply too focused on her activities. However, when Yu Zee was six years old, her kindergarten teacher noticed something unusual and alerted her parents. A subsequent hospital examination revealed that she had severe hearing loss in both ears, leading her parents to provide her with hearing aids.

At the age of seven, doctors recommended a cochlear implant surgery for her right ear while she continued using a hearing aid for her left ear. Following the surgery, Yu Zee tried her favorite activity, street dance, but found that the vigorous movements caused her cochlear processor to frequently fall off. She eventually switched to learning piano. Today, she has passed her Grade 3 piano examination and dreams of becoming a piano teacher.

However, due to limitations with her right ear’s cochlear implant, she sometimes struggles to detect mistakes while playing the piano, and her speech isn’t fully fluent.

During a follow-up consultation this August, doctors confirmed that Yu Zee’s left ear is now suitable for a cochlear implant surgery, which would significantly improve her hearing. The surgery costs RM80,000, but her parents can only afford RM20,000, leaving a shortfall of RM60,000.

Her father, Chan Qing Zhong (39), runs an optical shop with a monthly income of approximately RM6,000, while her mother, Tio Foo Khim (42), is a housewife. The couple also has two younger daughters, aged 8 and 6. With additional educational and living expenses to cover, their financial burden is overwhelming.

After a home visit and evaluation, ONE HOPE CHARITY has decided to launch a fundraiser to help Yu Zee raise the remaining RM60,000 required for her surgery. Her parents have entrusted the entire fundraising effort to ONE HOPE CHARITY, which will also handle the collection of donations. ONE HOPE CHARITY will contribute RM5,000 from its "Emergency Medical and Contigency Reserve Fund" towards this case.For inquiries, please contact our hotline: 04-539 9212, 016-4192 192, 019-2322 192, or 018-911 4192.