Helen says Renee is very active in school.
SOME eight years ago, a charitable initiative took place with the involvement of The Borneo Post that offered a little girl a chance at a normal life.
Renee Ngien, now 12 years old, is attending mainstream school where she is involved in many activities, said her mother, Helen Ngu, when contacted.
“She can speak well, she can express her feelings and she is also doing quite well in her study,” she added.
Renee, who had bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss, received her first cochlear implant when she was only four years old, and the second one when she was seven.
She had her first cochlear hearing aid surgically implanted under the initiative supported by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, who was then Minister of Resource Planning and Environment, KTS managing director Dato Henry Lau, and Dr Toh Teck Hock from the Association for Children with Special Needs.
Eunice Renalto, who is the same age as Renee, was also one of the recipients of the assistance.
The kind-hearted people and organisation provided a life-changing opportunity for the two after RM70,000 was handed to the Association for Children with Special Needs Sibu for operations.
Awang Tengah footed half of the bill, and his donation was matched by Lau, who handed over a cheque for RM35,000 during a ceremony held at Crown Towers in Kuching, in October 2014.
The donation was timely as both girls had been racing against time. The earlier they got the implants, the higher the chances for them to develop their speaking abilities and learn like other normal children.
Ear Nose Throat (ENT) specialist Dr Tang Ing Ping performed the surgeries on both girls.
“Now, there is no limit to learning for Renee, thanks to the implants,” Ngu told The Borneo Post.
“When she was very young, we were very worried because we wanted her to be able to learn things.
“So, the cochlear implant was so important for her, because when she could not hear, she could not learn anything.
“We wanted her to undergo the implant as soon as possible to give her higher chance to gain learning abilities like normal children.”
Ngu also expressed hope for Renee, now attending SJKC Nang Kiang in Sibu, to continue to do well in her studies.