As the festive season approaches, we all understand the excitement of displaying your decorations, watching your favourite movies, and celebrating with your loved ones. But this year, one family will be celebrating much more. They will be celebrating their daughter's hearing and the incredible impact of a cochlear implant. This Christmas, we need your help to give the sound of hope to children across Queensland—children just like Saharia.
Saharia is nine years old, living on the Gold Coast with her parents, Meisha, Yoanis and her younger sister, Amaraia. Like many kids her age, she loves reading mystery novels, rollercoasters and also enjoys dancing, swimming and roller skating.
When she was three years old, the hearing in her left ear dropped, with her experiencing mild to moderate hearing loss. The hearing in her left ear was stable until June of this year, when the family were told that Saharia’s left ear had severe to profound hearing loss.
“Her journey has many medical appointments: speech therapy, hearing tests, vision screening, dental treatments, psychology appointments, support from the Deaf community, Auslan lessons and educational supports and endless amounts of worrying about her maintaining age appropriate social and educational levels,” said Meisha.
Saharia currently uses a cochlear device on her right side and a hearing aid on her left side. Hear and Say have supported Saharia through both her speech therapy journey and her cochlear implant journey.
“Hear and Say have always been just an email away for all our cochlear support needs, from MAPping appointments to social groups, to technological issues, we have always felt fully supported by Hear and Say."
"A cochlear implant is a lifechanging procedure. It can make an incredible improvement in a family’s life.”
In December, Saharia will undergo her cochlear implant surgery in her left ear. This festive season, we invite you to follow Saharia’s journey.
