RM200,000 needed for cochlear implant surgeries for two Miri kids

MIRI (March 24): Mothers of two young children born without cochleae in both ears are appealing to the public for assistance to raise RM200,000 for their surgeries.

Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts I Datuk Sebastian Ting said each operation costs RM125,000, bringing the total to RM250,000.

“However, the Miri Cochlear Implant Society (MCIS) will contribute RM50,000, so we now need to raise the remaining amount,” he told a press conference here on Tuesday.

Ting, who is also Piasau assemblyman, said the surgeries would offer a better future for the two children—three-year-old Andy Harrison and four-year-old Flora Lee Kai Shuan.

He said Flora’s mother is a single parent who was retrenched from her job in online customer service, while Andy’s mother is a homemaker and his father a farmer earning about RM350 a month.

“We have yet to fix a date for the operations, but we hope to raise the funds as soon as possible, especially for Flora as she will be turning five soon,” he said.

Ting added that the cochlear implant programme, initiated by MCIS in 2014, has successfully assisted nine cases so far.

“For these nine cases, we raised a total of RM1 million,” he said, adding that the children have been able to grow up normally like their peers thanks to the generosity of the community.

Also present at the press conference was Miri Hospital director Dr Jack Wong.