Victor & The Starkey Hearing Foundation
today was a really big day for Victor. today, Victor can hear again.
Victor is ten years old. He came to HOCET several years ago with his older brother, Damas, after his mother passed away and his father abandoned them. They had no where else to go.
Since that day, Victor and Damas have been kids of HOCET. Victor lives at HOCET’s children’s home in Dar-es-Salaam and attends the local primary school; and Damas is a Form III student of HOCET Secondary School, pursuing his education and his dreams.
About 4 months ago, Victor got very sick with a respiratory infection that doctors couldn’t identify, as well as an ear infection that ruptured his ear drum and caused Victor to lose all hearing in his left ear. We were told his hearing would likely never return, given his compromised immune system.
After seeing over 10 doctors and making a countless number of hospital visits over the last several months, we started to believe that Victor would never regain his hearing.
Today, we want to send our heartfelt thanks to the Starkey Hearing Foundation for giving the gift of hearing back to Victor. This morning Victor and I went together to a “hearing mission trip” of the Starkey Hearing Foundation, where Victor was fitted with a free hearing aid and trained on how to keep it safe, clean, and functional. You should have seen the smile on his face.
The Starkey Hearing Foundation served over 600 hearing-impaired Tanzanian youth in 2 days. We are overjoyed with the generosity and the success of their efforts.
This is wonderful news! This story is especially touching for me as the ear infection began just before I left there and the respiratory issue seemed to have been a lingering issue well before then … we just couldn’t get a fix on the cause, severity or remedy with any doctors at TMJ or Mwananyamala.
I’m sorry to hear about the hearing loss but thrilled to see Kujali was able to get him his hearing back! He’s such a strong guy and he looks absolutely wonderful in the photos! I’m glad Grace was with him, too.
Does this message suggest his infection is gone now? I found it remained as just a sometime cough for a while, seeming like less than it obviously was … how’s he doing on that front?