Enas’s Story: Cochlear Implant Support for a Girl in Syria

When Enas was one year old, her mother, Amani, noticed that she didn’t turn when called. But when Amani communicated using hand signals, Enas understood.

A hearing test confirmed that Enas had a hearing impairment. Now 10, she needs a cochlear implant, but her family has spent years searching for support to cover the treatment.

Enas lives with her mother, grandmother, sister, and brother in Al-Bashaer Camp, in the Killi area of northwest Syria. The family has no breadwinner, and Amani says Enas’s hearing impairment makes everyday communication difficult.

The family tried hearing aids, but they caused ear inflammation and did not help Enas. She has also struggled to connect with other children. “I get sad when I see her playing with other children,” Amani says. “They can hear, but she can’t.”

Enas has never attended school. Amani once tried taking her, but Enas couldn’t follow what was happening in the classroom. She enjoys toys, picnics, and watching videos on a smartphone. When she sees other children heading to school, she points to her mother and gestures for a school bag.

Amani has spent years asking organizations for help with the cost of a cochlear implant. She hopes the procedure will help Enas communicate with other children, learn to read and write, and become more independent.

She also hopes Enas will one day be able to attend school and visit the mosque to learn the Quran.

“Having the cochlear implantation will change her life a lot,” Amani says. “She will be able to understand other children while playing with them.”

Amani says she plans to tell Enas about the people who helped her when she is old enough to understand.

For families like Enas’s, the cost of medical treatment can put essential care out of reach. Human Appeal’s Medical Fund supports patients who need medical treatment, including children whose families cannot afford the care they need.

Donations to the open fund are pooled and allocated where medical care is needed most.

By Human Appeal

Canada