THE happiest moment of their life came when their daughter Mrunmayee uttered the words, “Aai... Baba” (mother, father) for the first time. One would say this is the experience of any other family. But, in case of Mrunmayee’s parents, the joy knew no bounds because their daughter had uttered these words after undergoing surgery to remove her hearing problems. When Mrunmayee was 13 months old, her mother realised that her daughter had some hearing problem. The little one did not respond to mother’s voice because could not hear properly. It was a shock for the family. Mrunmayee’s parents got in touch with Neeti Cochlear Implant Association (NCIA), which not only provided guidance for cochlear implant surgery but also extended financial aid.

 

 

Now two-years-old, Mrunmayee can hear, respond to her parents, and tread the path of life with confidence. But, Mrunmayee is not alone. Payal, now 20-year-old, also suffered due to hearing loss. She struggled in early part of her life. But, with determination and hearing aid, she grew up to become a very talented dancer. She has appeared on ‘Dance India Dance-Little Masters’ reality TV show and got shortlisted among the top 16 of the competition. Now, she runs a dance class and choreographs dances for weddings too. She, too, thanks NCIA for her journey. Ariz and Insha are ‘cochlear siblings’. Their mother knew that the cochlear implant was necessary as both had problems with hearing. But, the surgery was very costly. Thanks to NCIA, Ariz has two implants and Insha will get her second implant very soon. Both of them today study like normal students.

 

These are just three of at least 10 out of total 48 stories of families that had children with hearing problems, and were helped by NCIA. The stories of these beneficiaries of cochlear implant surgeries were celebrated at a special event organised by NCIA at Chitnavis Centre here on Sunday. The programme began with ‘Ganesh Vandana’ presented by an implant recipient Aditi. Cochlear implant is not an easy task. When someone with hearing loss undergoes the surgery, that person does not immediately start hearing like a normal person. “The surgery is just an initial stage of the whole process to enable the patient to hear. If the hearing problem is diagnosed early on in life, the result will surely be different from that in case of the patients with late diagnosis,” said Dr Harsh Gupta, Secretary, NCIA, while addressing the gathering.

 

The Government, too, offers help but it is too little and too late. Also, the Government neither offers help for the cochlear implant for the second ear nor has a scheme for adults needing this surgery. Here, NCIA extends a helping hand. It not only provides financial aid and helps in getting surgery done, but also works with patients after the surgery, and takes care of maintenance of the implant device as well as explant in case of any problem. This post-implant care by the therapists is important. Dr Neelu Somani, renowned audiologist and Trust Member, NCIA, explained, “A surgeon’s work is for two days, an audiologist has to work on a patient for two months, but a therapist works for two years and may be more, to ensure that a patient is fully integrated into the society”. Also, she highlighted the importance of detecting hearing loss in children at an early age for early intervention. “The age of 0-3 years is the time when a child’s brain develops critically. It helps if there is early detection. NCIA has experiences of treating babies as young as 10 months too. Dr Madan Kapre, the man behind the movement and President of NCIA, appealed to the citizens for generous donations to make a positive difference in the lives of those suffering from hearing problems. NCIA has provided Rs 75 lakh to 48 families so far and wishes to do more. “Everything is costly and everybody cannot afford many things related to this surgery.

 

Wherever needed, implant for the second ear also is important. The devices also need to be upgraded in two-three years. Like in other countries, India also needs to start adult implant. All these require money. Rest assured that the donations you make will always go to the good cause. NCIA does not deduct the doctors’ fees from the donations received,” he elaborated. Dr Milind Kirtane, mentor to all other doctors at NCIA, had sent a video message thanking the donors and the beneficiary families, and appealed to the people to keep helping for the cause. Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, also sent a video message congratulating Dr Kapre for the movement and said that many people would benefit from this initiative. Dr Ishita Kapde conducted the proceedings of the session in which the beneficiary families shared their stories of change. As the programme came to an end, the words of Dr Madan Kapre resonated in the minds of the people: “God has punished these children enough. We humans should at least try and make life better for them.”