Maitry : The Sweet Sound of Success
February 10th, 2011
Cochlear Implants
A Cochlear Implant is a device meant for people who are born deaf. It can also be used for adults who lose their hearing abilities from nerve damage. The device of electronically stimulates the hearing nerve of the Cochlea (inner ear) to allow people who have severe to profound hearing loss, or nerve deafness, to perceive sound.
Once the Cochlear Implant is surgically placed and activated, the recipient starts perceiving different sounds. It takes from six months to two years of speech therapy to become normal. Some training in hearing is also required. It is better to provide the implant at an earlier age so that speech can be developed quickly. The average cost of placing the cochlear implant in India is anywhere between 6 to 12 lahks rupees.
As a result of this technology now available in India, the Kantilal J. Patel Charitable Trust was able to help a little girl to receive a Cochlear Implant to restore her ability to hear and communicate.
For more information about how Cochlear Implants work, you can visit: http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/coch.asp
Maitry
Maitry was born on October 17, 2006 in Ahwa, a town located in the tribal district of Dang, Gujarat, India.
Maitry had a difficult time communicating with anyone, including her immediate family. Her parents became concerned when they tried to interact with her and there was response. They took her to a hospital, a great distance from her home, for evaluation. The audiogram and all other tests suggested that Maitry had peripheral hearing loss from birth. As a result, she had not learned to speak. Without treatment, she would have spent the rest of her life as a handicapped child; probably in institutions as a typical deaf and dumb person. The recommended treatment was Cochlear Implant for long-term predictable results. Maitry’s parents were extremely worried because few doctors performed the surgical procedure required to place the implant and the cost was enormous.
The cost for the surgical placement of the Cochlear Implant and follow-up visits in India is around 12 lahks. It was very difficult for the parents to come up with the funds needed for the procedure
Changing Lives
Dr. Ashok Patel came to know about Maitry’s handicap during a visit to Ahwa, Dang for charitable project. Hearing her story, he took a personal interest in her and decided to arrange a meeting with Dr. Rajesh Vishwakarma to discuss Maitry’s procedure.
As a result of these discussions, the cochlear input and was sponsored by Kantilal J. Patel Trust of which Dr. Patel is the founding trustee. Dr. Vishwakarma is a professor and head of Ear Nose and Throat department at BJ medical College and Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad, India.
The surgery was performed by Dr. Vishwakarma on April 1, 2010 at Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad, Gujurat, India. It was a successful surgery and Maitry handled the procedure well.
Dr. Vishwakarma is one of the few ENT surgeons performing Cochlear Implant surgeries utilizing various implants manufactured in different countries.
Results
Maitry has recovered from her Cochlear Implant surgery very well. She has started to respond to certain sounds. She now runs to answer the phone when it begins to ring. She is currently undergoing speech therapy which will continue for the next several months. Once the therapy is completed she is expected to lead a completely normal life.
Dr. Vishwakarma is very confident that Maitry will make a full recovery and be a normal child, once her speech therapy is completed. Dr. Patel visited Maitry At her home in Ahwa Dang and was pleased with her rehabilitation progress. He has assured Maitry’ s parents that the Kantilal J. Patel charitable trust is committed to monitor her progress and provide necessary assistance for her speech therapy and other rehabilitation needs also.
About the Kantilal J. Patel Charitable Trust
The Kantilal J. Patel Charitable Trust is committed to the principle that we can help people who cannot otherwise help themselves. By creating healthcare opportunities for people in developing countries, we are able to make changes happen in a community that would otherwise take several generations to occur.
Our work is focused on healthcare, but that can take several different forms, depending on what a community needs. Your help can help establish a school, affordable housing, or a healthcare facility. Your generous donation can dramatically affect the lives of countless people around the globe.
The Kantilal J. Patel Charitable Trust has initiated the necessary procedures to establish a world-class Oral Rehabilitation Center for the benefit of the tribal and rural communities of the Dang District in Gujarat. The facility is being planned and built in Ahwa, Dang, Gujarat. It will be followed by a Primary Healthcare Center, Blood Bank, and Cancer Research Center.
