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Success! Faith from Kenya raised $929 to fund a hearing aid.

Faith
100%
  • $929 raised, $0 to go
$929
raised
$0
to go
Fully funded
Faith's treatment was fully funded on December 17, 2019.

Photo of Faith post-operation

March 5, 2020

Faith underwent hearing aid fitting and treatment.

Faith had a successful hearing aids fitting completed! She is able to hear with better clarity and her uncle notes that she is now responding well to low volume sounds. Faith and her mother are grateful for the support offered and hopefully for a better quality of life ahead.

“Thank you for your help. I will now go to school,” shared Faith.

Faith had a successful hearing aids fitting completed! She is able to hear with better clarity and her uncle notes that she is now respondin...

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October 16, 2019

Faith, the only child in her family, was doing well all along until she turned three years. She started to have difficulty hearing and her mother had to shout for her to hear.

Her mother at first thought Faith was just being naughty. As years progressed, Faith’s hearing became limited. She was unable to go to school as she struggles to hear what the teacher says.

Her mother tried to have her ears cleaned from a nearby dispensary. With the condition’s persistence, she had tests run in a different hospital and was diagnosed with hearing loss. The cost of the hearing aids was high for Faith’s mother. They were advised to seek care in Kijabe by a friend with hopes of subsidized charges. Faith’s mother cannot raise the funds needed and so appeals for help.

Faith’s mother does casual tasks such as laundry in the neighborhood and she was abandoned by her father before she was born. They are only able to aise 15,000 Kenyan Shillings which cannot fully cover the cost of the hearing aids.

“If I get the hearing aids I will go to school again,” says Faith with a bright smile.

Faith, the only child in her family, was doing well all along until she turned three years. She started to have difficulty hearing and her m...

Read more

Faith's Timeline

  • October 16, 2019
    PROFILE SUBMITTED

    Faith was submitted by Robert Kariuki, Process Coordinator at African Mission Healthcare.

  • October 28, 2019
    TREATMENT OCCURRED

    Faith received treatment at AIC Kijabe Hospital in Kenya. Medical partners often provide care to patients accepted by Watsi before those patients are fully funded, operating under the guarantee that the cost of care will be paid for by donors.

  • November 10, 2019
    PROFILE PUBLISHED

    Faith's profile was published to start raising funds.

  • December 17, 2019
    FULLY FUNDED

    Faith's treatment was fully funded.

  • March 5, 2020
    TREATMENT UPDATE

    Faith's treatment was successful. Read the update.

Funded by 16 donors

Funded by 16 donors

Treatment
Hearing Aids - Severe
  • Diagnosis
  • Procedure
  • Symptoms
  • Impact on patient's life
  • Cultural or regional significance

​What kinds of symptoms do patients experience before receiving treatment?

Patients who need hearing aids present with a variety of conditions, including cholesteatoma, conductive hearing loss, ear drainage, sensorineural hearing loss, otitis media-inflammation of the middle ear, or a perforated ear drum/tear in the ear drum. Patients are unable to perceive speech and sounds, leading to impaired speech.

​What is the impact on patients’ lives of living with these conditions?

Patients are unable to perceive speech and sounds, they have impaired speech and language development, impaired communication, difficulties in learning, and avoidance/withdrawal from social situations.

What cultural or regional factors affect the treatment of these conditions?

The prevalence of disabling hearing loss in children and adults is greatest in Sub-Saharan Africa, south Asia and Asia Pacific. Certain infections (e.g. meningitis and ear infections) may cause hearing loss if not treated promptly.

  • Process
  • Impact on patient's life
  • Risks and side-effects
  • Accessibility
  • Alternatives

What does the treatment process look like?

Patients are fitted for hearing aids, which are electrical devices that assist in optimizing perception of speech and other sounds. They amplify sound and thus improve hearing. They are designed for hearing impaired individuals. A basic hearing aid consists of a microphone (collects sound energy), amplifier (increases amplitude of impulses collected), earphone/receiver (converts electrical energy into sound), battery (provides power supply), and mould (holds the hearing aid in place and acts like a seal and volume control). Generally, they can be categorized by technology and style. Selection depends on hearing loss, cosmetic appearance, and cost.

What is the impact of this treatment on the patient’s life?

Patients will gain the ability to perceive speech and sounds, have improved speech and language development, improved learning ability, and active participation in social situations.

What potential side effects or risks come with this treatment?

Not using the optimal hearing aid or not using it in the correct way could lead to uncomfortable side effects, including bad fitting, headaches and tinnitus (ringing in the ear), and improper sound level and quality. However, this can be easily avoided and fixed with the assistance of an audiologist.

How accessible is treatment in the area? What is the typical journey like for a patient to receive care?

There are few quality centers with the specialized personnel (audiologists and ENT doctors) that offer this kind of service, but the cost of hearing aids is a major deterrent for patients to access care.

What are the alternatives to this treatment?

For many hearing disorders, there is no actual available cure. However, there are assistive devices like hearing aids and promising new treatments that allow patients to manage their hearing disorders.

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.

Meet another patient you can support

100% of your donation funds life-changing surgery.