Thieves prevent boy‚ 2‚ from gaining gift of hearing

A two-year-old deaf boy who was supposed to have the gift of hearing for the first time on Monday‚ could not have his cochlear implant switched on because thieves broke into his school and stole programming cables and computers containing the software for the procedure.

The break-in took place at the Carel du Toit centre for deaf children in the Eastern Cape‚ where equipment worth R20‚000 was stolen over the weekend‚ the Daily Dispatch reported.

Cape Town audiologist Jenny Perold‚ who flew down to East London to connect and switch on the implant‚ said the school would attempt to borrow a computer so that they could attempt to improvise the procedure on Tuesday.

Carel du Toit school principal Paula Kumm said Saturday’s break-in was the second incident in two weeks.

Parents at the school had just raised money to replace material stolen in the first incident‚ valued at R7‚000.

“We are an NGO with no money. They are stealing from poor people. We will struggle to replace the equipment‚” she told the newspaper.

- Daily Dispatch