Born deaf, both sisters receive top cochlear implants

For Dion Maharaj, the greatest gift he could have given his daughters, Tiyasha and Ahliya - both diagnosed as profoundly deaf at a young age – was the ability to hear and express themselves. Achieving this has changed both his and his young daughters’ lives.

“Although we suspected it, we were shocked,” says Dion Maharaj of the day when his daughter Tiyasha was diagnosed with profound deafness in 2009.

Dion and his wife Raksha were, at the time, excited first-time parents. Raksha and her dad picked up that something might be wrong with little Tiyasha when they compared her to other children her age. She was almost completely silent, unlike her more vocal peers.

“A paediatrician in Pietermaritzburg eventually referred us to an audiologist. And the audiologist referred us to a doctor in Durban. We then got the news of her profound deafness and were quite devastated,” Dion recalls. “The prospect of cochlear implants was, for us, a little light at the end of the tunnel.”

A cochlear implant is an electronic device that circumvents the damaged outer hair cells of the inner ear or cochlea in order to provide direct electrical stimulation to the nerve fibres and provide sound signals to the brain. Unlike a hearing aid, it does not rely on the remaining hearing ability but rather replaces the damaged hair cell function.

Procedures paid for in full

“The medical aid scheme my family was on at the time, would not fund the procedure required to give Tiyasha cochlear implants in full,” says Dion who has been a fire fighter for 18 years in the Umgungundlovu District Municipality. “There was a R120,000 shortfall so we raised the funds ourselves,” he adds. Tiyasha received her first cochlear implant at the age of two years and nine months. “They go behind the ear and flap the skin forward and drill through to get to the cochlea. It’s a very delicate operation. Although those who receive the implants later hear sound, it takes a while before the sense becomes normal,” Dion says.

A month later her doctors switched this device on. “At first, she burst out crying as she heard sound for the first time. She cried and cried and cried, but then she got used to it. She reacted to different voices and to her name,” says Dion, still moved at the memory. But unfortunately after some months, the cochlear implant worked only intermittently and eventually doctors diagnosed that the implant had failed.

Dion investigated various medical aids and eventually settled on LA Health Medical Scheme, administered by Discovery Health.

“LA Health Medical Scheme paid in full for the explant of the failed device and the re-implant of two new devices – one in each ear,” he says. He marvels that every three years Tiyasha gets an upgrade to each cochlear implant to ensure she has access to the technological advances made in the development of these devices.

A new lease on life for little Tiyasha

Dion passionately describes the positive transformation that took hold of young Tiyasha when at long last she could hear for the first time.

“She became vocal – she would play with her voice and babble. She was doing very well, so when the [first] implant failed we picked it up very quickly,” he says.

He says the period of between four and five months before medical professionals were able to confirm that the implant had failed was a difficult time for the family. Despite her progress and current proficiency (she’s now aged 11), she was unable to hear anything during key life stages that are crucial to a child’s linguistic development.

“Although now she is doing very well she still battles with expressing herself,” he says. “But the cochlear implants have made a world of difference.”

Ahliya - also born-deaf - lives as though born with hearing intact

In 2013 Raksha gave birth to another daughter - Ahliya. “We tested her at birth, and were immediately referred to a specialist, and discovered that she was also born profoundly deaf,” Dion says of his younger daughter.

Ahliya received her first cochlear implant, paid for by LA Health Medical Scheme in full, in 2015.

Like Tiyasha, Ahliya, now aged five, attends a mainstream school despite her disability. “Thanks to the early detection of her deafness, she’s growing up as though born with the ability to hear,” Dion says.

“It’s a lot of hard work and sacrifice ensuring our children get the very best care we can offer them - on one income. Without LA Health Medical Scheme there’s no way we could have paid for the implants our girls received. Even the costs of speech and occupational therapy are covered. It’s just mind-boggling – it really has humbled me,” adds Dion.

“I want to give my kids the best possible opportunities in life. I hope they will find excellent jobs and become independent women. Their cochlear implants are giving them just that sort of chance at life.”