Nine-year old boy with undeveloped ear seeks help

By Anabelle Bangsoy

BAGUIO CITY -- A  nine year old boy, abandoned  by his father and raised solely by his mother seeks help for his undeveloped  right ear to help him hear his teacher explain his lessons at school.

Joshua Pao-ay, born with a medical condition called aural atresia or incomplete development of the auricle or pinna of his left ear, goes to school dutifully but struggles to hear the lessons being discussed by his teacher.

 According to a medical abstract taken when he was still five years old, his audiogram indicated he has a severe hearing loss in his left ear and a profound hearing loss in his right. His mother, Nancy, was advised by a doctor not to subject 

Joshua to an operation until later but due to her financial incapability to provide for Joshua's expenses, the operation, which could save Joshua's hearing was never performed.

Nancy, a single mother who takes care of Joshua and her sister  in a  small room  boarding house at Marcos Highway said her husband left them when  the kids were very young. She  said she sells sayote she picks up from the neighborhood where she stays with her two kids inorder for them to survive.

"Naasi kadakami diay landlady sunga pinaglinis  dak . Isu kasla abang min," she said.

Nancy, a very devoted mother to Joshua says she really wanted Joshua to get well so he could be normal like other kids who enjoy the gift of hearing. Joshua, who attends the  twice a month life coaching program of Goshen Land Caring Hands  for underprivileged kids at the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said he wants to become a football player someday. He will soon be mentored in football by Rodrigo Gango, a former street kid  who is now a Goshen Land scholar at SPED and a football player who is under training with the Cordillera Goshen Land Football Club (CGFC).

According  to a social worker at the DSWD, Nancy takes in odd jobs like house cleaning to feed her kids. She is trying to save some penny for Joshua's operation but it is not enough. She  can only hope and pray some miracle hand will find Joshua and open his ear to hear.

Nancy can be reached through DSWD Social Worker Nancy Dumiwal or through her number 09261839407.