In just 2 weeks, 95 people from across the globe helped little Connor get his hearing back. He was profoundly deaf but now, he can hear for the first time ever.
“Profoundly deaf. In both ears. 5 words a parent can’t imagine hearing, but we did, we heard it and we saw it. Our 14 month old happiest, most beautiful little boy is profoundly deaf, in both ears. He has never heard the birds chirp, the aeroplane fly or the rainfall. We have shown him but there was just no sound. He has never heard our voices, he’s never heard his own out-of-tummy-laugh or his own cry.”
This is the message Connor’s parents shared with the world when they took a chance at crowdfunding. They had him scheduled for a 10-hour procedure to have his Cochlear implants installed in both his ears. They knew the astronomical cost of the operation and decided to seek a little help.
Little did they realise how many people would be touched by their son’s story. Within 2 weeks of posting on the Sanlam hosted crowdfunding platform “ADDaBIT”, the operation was fully funded.
“I created a fundraising page to raise funds for a second implant, but never in my life did I imagine the funds going up to R315,000 in just two weeks, just in time for his operation. Over 95 people from literally across the world helped us.” – Charnique Brand
Charnique new something was off with Connor when he was just 3-weeks-old. She took him to get tested but was told he wasn’t sensitive to sounds. Then at 10-months, she was told it was just selective hearing. Her motherly-instinct was screaming at her but she took the doctors word. Then just 3 months later, her instincts flared up again and she insisted on further tests. This was when they learned that Connor was profoundly deaf in both ears.
They were sent to have brain scans to see if Cochlear Implants were an option and thankfully they were. There was hope after the devastating diagnosis.
Connor had his operation on the 9th of October and thanks to the generous donors, the family were able to do it without facing a mountain of medical bills.
“For the rest of his life, he will be deaf, but for some, maybe most parts of the day he will get the “gift of hearing” the birds chirp, the airplane fly, the rain fall, our voices, his own laugh and his own cry.”
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“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We will forever be grateful. Albert, Charnique and (Super-Hear-0) Connor.”
The family shared a video of Connor’s implants being switched on. He was slightly overwhelmed by the sounds he was hearing but looked around to see where they were coming from and that is a magical moment.
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