R900K needed to help deaf kids hear

Corban and Samantha Venter, who were both born deaf, need to raise R900 000 for cochlear implants.

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Pretoria - Corban Venter, 9, and his seven-year-old sister Samantha were born deaf – and they may not be able to hear soon because a staggering R900 000 stands between them and cochlea implants.

A fundraising drive has been launched to grant them the privilege of hearing. Should this be successful, they will become the eyes and ears of their family, as their parents - Johan and Tania Venter - both have a 5 percent vision and are essentially blind.

“If there was danger in the house or if someone broke in they would not hear the noise nor would we be able to alert them,” said Johan.

“There are limitations to the life we live as a family because of our disabilities and we would like to give the children the privilege of hearing for themselves and us.”

The children attend the Transoranje School for the Deaf just across the road from their home in Pretoria West.

Their mother is a teacher at Prinshoff School for the Visually Impaired, while Johan works at the Tshwane University of Technology.

“The children are doing very well at school, and at home they have taken the situation into their hands and know exactly how to communicate with us,” their mother said.

The children have learned how to sign formally at school.

They have attempted to teach sign language to their parents, but like every family, the Venters have their own in-house method of communication.

“We are a unique family with our disabilities, but we lead a normal life,” Johan said.

But he explained that when they sat around the table for supper every night communication became strained because they were not able to see signs from across the table.

“But we have developed ways and means to carry out conversation and discuss our meal and the day’s activities,” Tania said.

The two children, however, know to knock and bang on doors and walls to attract their parents’ attention; they help their parents in running daily chores around the house.

“And because they know we cannot see, they tell us colours and give description of pictures, events and clothing,” said Tania.

They also help their mother to pair up her shoes and hold her hand to allow her to feel the texture of clothes.

They also love to look at pictures and describe them to their parents, and, like all girls her age, Samantha loves to take selfies on her cellphone.

Highlighting some of the problems they are facing, Johan said: “If they were playing and we needed them to come back for one reason or the other we would not be able to call them back.

“This could mean life and death in some situations, and it could be a simple matter of them missing meals in others.”

Corban turns 10 on October 10, and the parents wish he could have the implants by then.

They also want Samantha to have hers as soon as possible.

“The longer you wait before having them implanted the harder it is for them to learn speech and sound,” their mother said.

The family joined the Foundation for Children with Hearing Loss in Southern Africa, which works hand in hand with the Pretoria Ear Institute and where the cochlear implant efforts will be made.

A fund-raising event has been planned for next Saturday at Stone Cradle Restaurant in Centurion.

Dubbed “Breakfast with Corban and Samantha”, the event will have motivational speakers, a blind musician and a performance by a sign language choir.

Tickets cost R200 a person and include a buffet breakfast. Participants at the event stand a chance to win a weekend away.

There will also be an auction of hampers filled with goodies.

“All gifts and goodie bags have been sponsored and we really hope to make maximum profit and get the children the gift of hearing,” Tania added.

The R900 000 would cover the costs of hospitalisation for both children, operations, anaesthetists and surgeons.

“But it would not cover the other requirements like speech therapists, rehabilitation and audiologists which is why we are aiming to raise much more money,” said Tania.

The family also has a 6-month-old baby, and tests have so far found that baby Micyla can see and hear very well.

Their mother said that because there was a baby in the house who would soon start learning to talk, getting the implants as soon as possible would mean all three would learn to talk together.

The siblings believe all grown-ups could hear, and “promised” their mother that they too would be able to hear when they got older.

ntando.makhubu@inl.co.za

Pretoria News