Dvir's Grandfather's Letter

My grandson, Dvir, was born deaf and for the first four years of his life, he simply did not hear and was unable to learn speech and socialization. Some ten years ago, he was fitted with his cochlear implant. The difference between a deaf grandchild and one who hears is a miracle that is hard to describe and to this day I cannot forget how tears welled up in my eyes the first time Dvir walked past my chair and I called him – and he turned around!

Since that time, ten years ago, Dvir has developed his hearing and learning capabilities and has succeeded in school, despite the fact that he hears with only one ear and the quality of the sound is - poor.

This year, Dvir began junior high school and it is much more difficult for Dvir to fully participate in the classroom, during recess and in enrichment activities after school hours. The noise volume is much higher, he is unable to discern the direction that a friend is calling from, and his implant does not differentiate too well between noise and speech. In addition, daily life activities such as crossing a street or riding a bicycle are complicated when you do not know from which direction a horn is blowing or a warning is being shouted. This situation can play havoc with the emotional self-image of a teenage boy.

Dvir is in great need of an operation to install a second Cochlear implant in his other ear. The second implant will enable him to discern the direction of an approaching vehicle and to know where a shout of warning or greeting is coming from, and he would be able to participate in a group activity or discussion because the newer implant and the dual implants can filter out noise.

Please think of Dvir as your own child or grandchild and think of what you can do to give Dvir a better chance of succeeding in life. The Israeli Health Ministry is unable to help cover the $23,000 that an implant will cost (even though it will cover the actual operation and hospitalization).

There is a great deal of data available on the internet that shows you the benefit of two implants and on the site (http://www.barboor.com/david/Haazinu/) you can see how much Dvir has already accomplished with so little hearing. Imagine what he could accomplish if his hearing would be closer to normal.

Twenty three thousand dollars is a huge sum for an Israeli family to raise and it amounts to about a year’s net Israeli salary. Please help in any way you can.

Thank you.

Sincerely,


Dov Gilor