Three-year-old girl Shinthubaarathy A/P Sathia Nanam was born with different coloured eyes – one blue eye and one normal coloured eye. After the test, the doctor confirmed that her eyesight was not impaired, and her parents felt relieved. Until the girl was two, she still could not speak. After the examination,  the doctor confirmed that she was deaf in both ears. The doctor found the symptoms suspicious and suggested the child undergo a genetic test. The test confirmed that the child is a Waardenburg Syndrome patient.

The news shocked her parents. The doctor suggested that the child undergo cochlear implant surgery before three. Otherwise, the implantation will not be effective. However, the parents could only afford the cost of a cochlear implant for one ear, and they pleaded for help with the shortfall of RM95,000.

【The child’s development is just the same as the other children, but she suffers from a rare chromosomal mutation. She is still under regular observation. Her parents hope that the girl can live a normal and independent life after the cochlear implantation】

Shinthubaarathy, from Padang Serai in Kedah, is no different from ordinary people. She has two elder brothers, and she always imitates the movements and actions of her elder brothers. Therefore, her family did not notice the child had hearing problems. When the parents called her, she would follow her elder brothers to respond.

When she entered school in December last year, her kindergarten teachers discovered she did not respond when they called her, so the mother brought her to see a doctor. An examination confirmed that she was deaf in both ears and needed cochlear implantation. During this period, the girl also tried wearing hearing aids.

According to the doctor, it is best if the girl undergoes cochlear implantation before three as it helps in her recovery and her speech learning later. Although the girl has insurance, the insurance company refused to bear the cost because her deafness is congenital. The parents could only afford the cochlear implant in one ear and were still short of RM95,000.

The girl’s father, Sathia Nanam A/L Ramar (39 years old), is an administrative head of a factory with a salary of about RM2,200. Her mother, Shasiikala  A/P Kathirvelu Pillai (37 years old), is a primary school teacher, earning RM5,222 a month. The couple has three children. Their six-year-old eldest son has Down’s Syndrome, their four-year-old second son attends kindergarten, and their three-year-old daughter suffers from a rare genetic disorder.

The parents are worn out physically and mentally as two of their children have special needs. However, for their children’s future, the couple chose to send them to homeschooling. The education expenditure for the three children is RM4,500 a month. Therefore, they could only afford cochlear implantation for one side of their daughter’s ear. They plead for help with the shortfall in surgical fees.

After reviewing the case, One Hope Charity decided to assist Shinthubaarathy in raising the cochlear implantation fee she needed. 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 questions.