KOCHI: This Onam would be a hearty one for siblings Mikhael and Mihok from Vandiperiyar in Idukki as they celebrate their first Onam after regaining their ability to hear.
Born with hearing impairment, the brothers underwent free cochlear implant surgeries under the ‘Kaathodu Kaathoram’ initiative jointly implemented by actor Mammootty-led Care & Share International Foundation and Rajagiri Hospital in Aluva.
Their parents, Sonu and Bobina, first noticed a hearing problem in their elder son Mikhael when he was two. The family later learnt that he had a problem with the cochlear cells responsible for hearing. Similar symptoms were also noticed in his younger brother Mihok.
Though doctors had advised cochlear implantation at an early age, Sonu, a daily wage worker, could not afford the nearly Rs 25 lakh required for the treatment of both children.
The family had registered under the government’s cochlear implantation programme and had been waiting for treatment when Bobina read about the ‘Kaathodu Kaathoram’ initiative in the newspaper.
Mammootty also sent the brothers kasavu mundus and shirts featuring mahabali along with a radio. “The gift of hearing that Mammookka has given my children is the greatest Onam gift of our lives,” Bobina said.