Like many children, Yiyi (assumed name) should have had her happy childhood, but there was no sound in her world. She neither knew what a wind sounded like nor heard the honking of a car.
It was this lovely little girl who was about to miss the golden period of surgery and face lifetime surdimutism as her poverty-stricken family could not afford the high cost of treatment.
In fact, there are nearly 100,000 children with severe hearing loss like Yiyi from poverty-stricken families across the country.
In 2016, China Women’s Development Foundation and Venture Avenue initiated “First Sound”, and our Foundation strategically supported the “Audibility” for Poverty-Stricken Hearing-Impaired Children (III); so far, these have provided 188 children’s families with preliminary screening and knowledge dissemination, received more than 80 applications for help from all over the country, and completed cochlear implant surgeries with rehabilitation assistance for a total of 25 poverty-stricken hearing-impaired children.
As one of the aided children, Yiyi has successfully had her surgery completed with rehabilitation training, and her hearing and linguistic functions have significantly improved, gradually returning to the world with sound. From now on, she can enjoy the wonderful sounds of nature just like a child with normal hearing.
Spring is the time for recovery of all things. 2018: First Sound Project is still in action and will help more children in need!
March 3rd is the Ear Care Day. We hope we can support the aid of poverty-stricken hearing-impaired children with you and witness the power to hear together!
