Aishath Amna, has B/L profound hearing loss since birth. This 3 year old little girl was adviced hearing aid trial. However she was not benefited from it and the only option available for her is to undergo cochlear implant surgery.

With the right treatment she can become a normal little girl who can be sent to a normal school and do normal activities in life. If her surgery is not done as soon as possible she will have hearing loss forever. And she will have to go to a Special Education Classes for the rest of her life.

The total cost of the surgery is US $ 15,531/- . Sadly, Amna is unable to go through the surgery right now due to financial difficulties.

So, please donate and help Amna to have a normal life.

Please Contact: +960 7931575 / +960 7740194  (Maldives)

Donations till 2009, December 11 (In US Dollars)

Total Cost of Amna’s Surgery : US $15, 531
Total Received:                        US $ 1000
                                                 US $ 3268 (MRF 42,000)

Account name: Fathmath Saeedha (Amna's Mother)

Account number: 7716 310723 001

Bank Address: Bank of Maldives, Hulhumeedhoo Branch

Swif Code: MALBMVMV

A brief Description of Amna’s Needed Surgey

+ What is a cochlear implant ?

A cochlear implant is an electronic device that can restore useful hearing and provide improved communication abilities for persons who have severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss (nerve deafness) and who cannot benefit from hearing aids.

+ Who can benefit from Cochlear Implants ?

Any adult or child with bilateral (both ears) severe to profound sensorineural (nerve) hearing loss who obtains little or no benefit from hearing aids would be considered a candidate for a cochlear implant. Such deafness may be acquired following infection (such as meningitis), toxic effect of ototoxic drugs, trauma or age associated hearing loss.

Some children may be born with deafness. Such congenital hearing impairment is not uncommon with 1 to 2 out of every 1000 live births are born with significant hearing loss. Such children need to be identified at the earliest. This ensures that appropriate measures are undertaken to rehabilitate their hearing loss at a time when language skills can most easily be acquired. Many of these children may eventually require a cochlear implant.

+ How does the cochlear implant work ?

For people who are cochlear implant candidates, the outer ear and the middle ear function normally. However, in the inner ear (cochlea), the tiny hair cells are damaged or missing and do not generate electrical pulses to be sent to the hearing centres of the brain. Therefore, the brain does not perceive the sound.

The cochlear implant attempts to replace the function of the hair cells with electrical stimulation. Sounds are picked up by the microphone of the speech processor. The speech processor analyses and codes sounds into electrical pulses. These pulses are sent to the surgically implanted receiver/stimulator package and through to the electrode array, which stimulates the residual nerve fibres in the cochlea. The hearing nerve then sends these electrical pulses to the brain and which are finally interpreted as sound.

Information: Apollo Hospitals

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