At just 16 months, tiny Breyden Marais yesterday became the youngest recipient of a cochlear implant at Port Elizabeth’s Life St George’s Hospital, through a partnership between two surgeons, Life Healthcare and the Eastern Cape Department of Health.
His mother, Antoinette, 21, of Algoa Park, said she had become worried when she realised after he was born that Breyden did not respond when she called his name.
“He was also not frightened by loud noises. You would see other children being fearful, but he would just carry on playing,” she said.
“I took him to the doctor and they sent him for a hearing test.
“I think a lot of moms don’t take their babies for a hearing test because they don’t think the state hospital can help them – but they can.”
Dr Francois Retief, who performed the implant with Dr Iain Butler at Life St George’s, said Breyden was the youngest patient to receive the surgery so far.
“A while ago we realised that patients needing cochlear implants in Port Elizabeth but who did not have a medical aid, were not being helped. We went to the Eastern Cape Department of Health to offer our assistance,” he said.
He said the department had agreed to finance two implants a year at a cost of R250 000 each.“We have two audiologists who also work at Provincial Hospital. They would screen candidates for us.”
Retief said the earlier they could do the implants, the better.
“We don’t do the surgery for patients younger than a year, but it will also be useless to give an implant to a child of five to six who has been deaf since birth.
“The brain must learn how to hear. We have so few devices, we must give them to patients with the absolute best chance.
“That is why it is so satisfying doing the surgery for a patient like Breyden. He still has his whole life ahead of him.”
Retief said the inner part of the ear was fully formed in the womb and this made it possible for them to do the implant at an early age.
He said they had now formed the Cochlear Implant Group consisting of himself, Butler, audiologists Kelly Schroeder and Meghan Hurt, and a speech therapist.
Retief said patients who received cochlear implants under their partnership with the state were followed up without charge by Schroeder and Hurt.
“The device must be switched on and mapped for the first few months and then patients must be followed up once a year,” he said.
“I understand that the state has now appointed an audiologist who is trained to do this.”
Marais said: “I am very excited about July 9,” – the date when Breyden’s implant will be switched on.
“I was very stressed [yesterday] during the surgery – but now I am looking forward to my boy being able to hear,” she said.
Life Healthcare’s Eastern Cape manager, Bruce Janssens, said it was a privilege for the hospital to be involved in a life-changing procedure for such a young patient.
“To know that we have contributed towards helping a child to hear is humbling and a great honour for us.
“We trust that Breyden will heal from the procedure quickly and will be home with his family soon.
“We extend our thanks to doctors Retief and Butler, Dr Barend Dreyer who did the anaesthetics, the audiologist and the [theatre] staff at Life St George’s Hospital for making this procedure possible for Breyden.”
Health Department spokesman Lwandile Sicwetsha did not respond to a request for comment.