MADIKARI: The silent world opened up with sounds to the six-year-old Dhruva, who heard for the first time on the World Hearing Day on Wednesday.
The young boy, who has been diagnosed with profound hearing loss since birth, was gifted with hearing aids with the efforts from Swastha Centre for Special Education and Rehabilitation, Suntikoppa. The hearing aids were handed over to Dhruva by Kodagu DC Charulata Somal.
Son of Srijith and Rekha from Madapura in Kodagu, Dhurva was diagnosed with hearing loss at the age of three. While his parents looked forward to equipping their child with hearing aids, the equipment was out of reach for the parents. However, the Community Based Rehabilitation programme conducted by Swastha Institution introduced Dhruva’s parents to Aarthi Somaiah, the director of Swasta and the journey from here has been a sweet one.
Swastha Institution, a unit of Coorg Foundation, has over 100 specially-abled students. The centre provides vocational training to all the students even as many are placed across reputed private companies in the district. After the institution learnt about Dhruva, many donors were contacted.
SLN Group Vishwanath and his wife and Komal of Kanbail Estate, came forward to join hands with Swastha to help Dhruva who has now been equipped with Rs 62,500 worth of hearing aids. Dr Achaiah conducted the hearing test for Dhruva and the hearing aids were placed on Dhruva by DC on Wednesday.
“Dhurva has been born with severe to profound hearing loss and hearing aids play a major intervention. Once he starts responding to the hearing aids, he will be given speech therapy,” explained Dr Achaiah.
Director Aarti said that early intervention is required to identify differently-abled. “The centre has strategized the early intervention programme across the district and this enables identification, assessment and service delivery to differently-abled children aged six and below. The mainstreaming will be taken up by training the mothers of differently-abled at Anganawadis, which will be chosen as intervention centers.”