GMA: A Boy Hears for the First Time
Updated | By The Complimentary Breakfast
The Middelburg Old Boys open their hearts to help a boy from their community hear for the first time.
GOOD MORNING ANGELS 4 NOVEMBER 2015 (JURIE/MIDDELBURG OLD BOYS)
The Middelburg Old Boys open their hearts to help a boy from their community hear for the first time
REQUEST FROM: Various requests
REQUEST FOR: 15-year old Jurie du Plessis
ANGEL: Herman van Niekerk from the Middelburg Old Boys
SPONSORING: The full R360 000,00 needed for Jurie's cochlear implant to enable him to hear!!
BACKGROUND: Jurie du Plessis is a 15-year old young man, described by all who know him as a strong boy with a golden heart. He loves small children and animals and prays for everyone around him. He is very protective of his family. However, Jurie is lonely and has a fear of the dark. He struggles to make friends because he has trouble communicating, due to the fact that he was born deaf. He has taught himself to speak. Children his own age however don't follow him well and therefore he has no friends his own age. His mom, Susan runs her own day care centre for children with special needs and never shows anyone away. Jurie is very good with the children and they love him to bits. There is hope for him in the form of cochlear implants that will enable him to hear. This operation is extremely expensive and his parents simply don't have the R360 000,00 per ear it will cost. Time is also running out ... the quicker Jurie gets the implants, the better his chances to learn to speak and communicate properly and to catch up on the education and friends he has missed out all his life.
ORIGINAL REQUEST:
Goeie môre,
Ek kom vandag met baie hoop in my hart na julle toe om te help - nie vir myself nie maar vir 'n kind wat ek skaars ken. E k vra dit vir sy ma aangesien sy 'n engel met 'n goue hart is en sy verdien die geluk vir haar seun. Kom ek doen eers haar seun, Jurie. Hy is doof gebore maar sal kan hoor as hy gaan vir 'n operasie. Dit gaan R360 000 kos wat hulle nie op dié stadium nie kan bekostig nie. Jurie smag na vriende, maar kan nie 'n gesprek voer nie aangesien hy gebroke praat en gebare taal. Hy is vreeslik lief vir kinders en huiwer nie om gou vir Liewe Jesus 'n gebedjie vir iemand anders te stuur nie. Hy is regtig 'n pragtige seun en sy hele lewe kan normaal wees as hy die operasie ondergaan.
Hoekom ek dit so graag vir sy ma wil hê: sy het 'n kleuterskooltjie, Clever Kids, in Middelburg met baie engeltjies met gebreekte vlerkies, soos down sindroom, blind, liggaamlik gestremde kindertjies, welsyn-kindertjies en ook kinders met leerprobleme wat sy elke dag onderrig en sorg dat hulle iets het om te eet vir die dag. Sy huiwer nooit om nog 'n kindjie te help nie en dit is hoekom ek voel dat ons haar kindjie ook n 2de kans kan probeer gee. Ek vra met trane in my oë: kan ons kyk of ons hulle ook kan help.
Kind regards,
Melanie Strohmenger
This letter serves to confirm that Jurie du Plessis (Born 2000.10.31) is diagnosed with bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss. The exact cause is unknown and was possibly present since birth. He was examined and found to be a good candidate for a cochlear implant.
Your consideration of providing this boy with the financial support that would make this treatment possible and give him access to sound would be sincerely appreciated. All funds collected for Jurie must be paid into the following bank account referring to the stipulated bank reference.
Jurie du Plessis
FNB investment
Middelburg
Acc nr: 743 616 40805
Costs:
*Operation R340 000 per ear
*Unknown amount for 6 months after treatment
The foundation who also helps us:
Fund raising registration number: 030-787-NPO of Foundation for children with hearing loss in S.A.
Jurie de Plessis (14) was born with hearing loss and because of this it affected his speech as well. At age 3 he received hearing aids, but was only able to hear the minimum of sounds and tones...the hearing aids did not help Jurie to improve his speech.
At age 8 he received Phonak hearing aids and very intense speech therapy, Jurie started talking slowly then but his vocabulary barrier was too big to overcome. With the Phonak hearing aids (Naida 5, which are the top of the range), he still couldn't hear 70% of the sounds and tones, because his cochlear was not developed properly. His hearing barrier caused a backlog in his school career.
Jurie is currently in Grade 5 at the age of 14 and we are struggling. He won’t be able to pass Grade 5 without hearing, speaking and reading properly, and this is very sad because he is a very intelligent child.
Jurie’s interests:
Jurie just love animals, and will do what he can to save them.
He grew up with his cat “kito” and dog “Lola”
Jurie go absolutely crazy for fancy or unique cars, trucks or anything with wheels “so anything with 4 wheels and 4 legs go! “
However... Jurie have a fear of the dark and being alone in the bathroom, because he can’t hear sounds when he is bathing or going to bed without his hearing aids.
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