Cochlear implant surgery can change a child’s life. When he was three, the doctor diagnosed the now five-year-old Joshua Choo Kai Chen from Butterworth with deafness in both ears. He has been relying on a hearing aid to receive some weak sounds. As he is now in his learning stage, the doctor conducted an examination and found that he is suitable for cochlear implant surgery. The desperate parents asked for RM170,000 for cochlear implants in their son’s ears to provide their child with a brighter future.

The boy’s parents and 12-year-old brother are deaf-mute. The mother and brother wear hearing aids, and they use sign language to communicate. Since the youngest son has a chance to receive cochlear implant surgery at the age of five, they hope that their child can avoid the fate of being deaf-mute. They beg the public for assistance.

【12-year-old elder brother wears a hearing aid but missed the surgery due to the high cost of cochlear implants. Now, the younger brother faces the same situation, where he is suitable for surgery. The family is trying their best to seek help, with the hope that their son can undergo cochlear implantation】

Joshua, who is five years old, has been able to call his grandpa and grandma since he was a child. Therefore, his family did not discover his hearing condition. When he was three, his grandmother, who took care of him, noticed something amiss when he did not respond when she called his name. She brought her grandson to the hospital for treatment, and the doctor confirmed that he had hearing impairment in both ears. The doctor referred him to a government hospital for further treatment.

The doctor said the boy had missed the golden opportunity for surgery as government hospitals generally only provide cochlear implant surgery to deaf children before the age of two. However, Joshua was already three then, so the doctor could only recommend wearing a hearing aid and led two pairs of hearing aids to Joshua.

Due to the noise from the hearing aid in his right ear, the boy felt uncomfortable, so he only wore the hearing aid in his left ear until now. During this period, his family also replaced multiple hearing aids at their own expense. His condition improved a lot after wearing the hearing aid, and the grandmother also worked hard to teach Joshua to speak and read. Joshua enrolled in kindergarten this year, but his hearing impairment still affected his learning ability.

Joshua went to a hospital for examination by chance, and the doctor informed the parents that his inner ears were suitable for cochlear implant surgery. However, the substantial surgical expenses discouraged his family from moving forward.

The boy’s parents are both deaf and hard of hearing. His 40-year-old father, Choo Kar Choon, is an e-hailing driver, earning about RM3,000 monthly. His 39-year-old mother, Tien An Hui, is a quality assurance inspector with a salary of RM2,200. The couple has two sons. The 12-year-old eldest son is deaf and wears a hearing aid. He attends a Chinese primary school. Although the doctor recommended he undergo cochlear implantat surgery, the family gave up due to the high cost. The younger son is now in the same situation, and the parents have decided to seek help.

After reviewing the case following a home visit, One Hope Charity agreed to assist little Joshua in raising the required medical expenses and fully took charge of the fundraising. One Hope Charity will collect all donations from the well-wishers. For questions, call One Hope Charity’s hotline at 04-539 9212, 016-419 2192, 019-232 2192, or 018-911 4192.