“The doctor told us that our girl could not hear 100% after the surgery. She could only hear about 50% of the sounds around her. However, even if she could hear 10% or 20% as a father, I wish she could hear beautiful sounds around her.”

41-year-old father, Sashikumar a/l Muniandy from Puchong, Selangor, patted his daughter, Navya Sashikumar’s calf. The girl, who is almost three years and six months old, with her cute big eyes opened, was lying in the arms of her 41-year-old mother, Moganasunthiri a/p Guantaraju. She did not know that her parents were distraught.

【Her heart and thyroid problems can be treated with injections and oral medications, but the hearing impairment requires surgery】

Navya was born prematurely. Her parents learned that she had Down Syndrome after her birth. She underwent a series of tests on her eyes, nose and heart. However, she was born during the peak period of COVID-19, so the hospital kept postponing the examination dates. Whenever the hospital postponed the examination, they had to wait six months, so she completed her hearing test after a year. Sashikumar said that his daughter did not respond to sounds all the while, but they did not know the seriousness of the matter.

“She loves to watch Bollywood movies. We saw her dancing to the music, so we did not suspect her having a hearing problem. Unexpectedly, her examination report showed that she had hearing impairment!”

The parents tried to let the girl wear a hearing aid. They adjusted the volume to the loudest and banged a gong behind her. However, she did not respond. Therefore, the doctor recommended she undergo cochlear implantation surgery before four.

However, the doctor found some nerves in Navya’s left ear but none in her right ear, so she could only have a cochlear implant in her left ear. When they learned the equipment was expensive, the father sought help from the hospital’s welfare department to apply for funding for his daughter’s cochlear implant surgery. However, he learned that the authorities generally prioritised normal children compared to children with Down Syndrome. They were at a loss.

【The parents managed to raise RM15,000, and they are still short of RM75,000 for their daughter’s cochlear implant surgery】

Navya had other health issues, such as fluid around his heart and thyroid problems. His father said those problems can be treated with injections and oral medications. Her biggest problem now is her hearing impairment. For the past few years, he and his wife have used their income mainly for the tests and treatments of their daughter. They must also care for two other daughters, aged ten and six.

Sashikumar is a marketing executive with a monthly salary of RM5,300. The mother, Moganasunthiri, works in a bank, earning about RM5,000 a month. In addition to their children’s education and treatment expenses, they must pay for house and car loans, transportation expenses, insurance premiums and other miscellaneous expenditures. Therefore, they cannot afford the total cost of cochlear implant surgery, which is RM90,000. They can only raise RM15,000.

After reviewing the case following a home visit, One Hope Charity decided to assist Navya in raising the shortfall of RM75,000 in surgical expenses to ensure her treatment in the shortest possible time. Her family agreed to fully authorise One Hope Charity to take charge of the fundraising and collect donations from the well-wishers on their behalf. Call One Hope Charity’s hotline at 04-539 9212, 016-419 2192, 019-232 2192 or 018-911 4192 if you have problems.