Hearing loss in kids is more common than you think. In fact, it affects about 1 to 3 out of every 1,000 babies. The condition can be caused by a lot of things. However, in most cases, no cause is found.
Jurie du Plessis has been wearing his hearing aid at the age of three.
It was at that age that he was diagnosed with bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss.In Jurie’s case, it was congenital.
Although it’s not clear what caused his hearing loss, some of the most common causes of congenital sensorineural hearing loss include maternal diabetes, genetics, prematurity, infectious diseases that have been passed from mother to child during pregnancy, and lack of oxygen during birth.
Because of his condition, Jurie struggled to make friends.
The boy enjoys being around small children and animals. He likes to pray for everyone, too. Because of his personality, the people who personally know him consider him as a boy with a golden heart.
Despite his positive outlook in life and his natural kindness, Jurie had trouble communicating because he can’t hear. Despite that, he was able to teach himself how to talk.
Jurie’s mom runs her own daycare center.
It’s for kids with special needs. And just like how she treats Jurie, she never turns down anyone.
Even though Jurie’s mom had work, it wasn’t enough to support his treatment.
Apart from the financial difficulties the family was experiencing at that point, the boy wasn’t on Medicaid, too. Considering their financial status, it was hard for the family to have enough money to pay for Jurie’s cochlear implant surgery.
Jurie’s mom didn’t give up.
She contacted Middelburg Old Boys. It’s a non-profit organization that supports kids with medical emergencies in the area of Middel, Mpumalanga.
A couple of months later, the family was able to raise R380,000.
Because they were able to raise that much money, Jurie was soon scheduled to receive his cochlear implant.
The operation was a success!
Jurie received his cochlear implant and his reaction to hearing for the first time was just heartwarming. As soon as the woman spoke, he smiled right away. And the more sounds he heard, the wider his grin became. His reaction is similar to a boy opening his presents on Christmas day.
Jurie’s mom was so happy for him.
She was watching him as he processed the sounds he was hearing. Immediately, it made her cry. And just like her, the rest of his family were left teary-eyed because of what happened.
People on YouTube are quite happy for Jurie.
One of them said:
“This is heartrendingly beautiful. I don’t know if he hears what we normally hear but obviously he is getting the message and he can enunciate. This is too wonderful. Thanks. Good on ya mates.”
Another one shared:
“This video still tugs at my heart. Have seen it several times. I feel so happy for him, a little teary eyed. His joyous smile speaks volumes.”
Watch Jurie’s complete reaction below!
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