Devoted Father Works 14 Hours Daily to Support Hearing-Impaired Son's Journey to Mainstream School
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
A devoted father in Hong Kong has spent the past seven years working up to 14 hours daily to support his son who was born with normal hearing but diagnosed with profound bilateral hearing loss at age one. Nine-year-old Zeren has now achieved 80% hearing ability following cochlear implant surgery and successfully transitioned to mainstream primary school. The family's journey illustrates the immense financial and emotional challenges facing hearing-impaired children and their caregivers, while also demonstrating how early intervention and parental dedication can yield remarkable outcomes.
Key Points
- Zeren's hearing threshold measured at 110 decibels, indicating severe hearing loss that left him unable to detect normal speech sounds
- Cochlear implant surgery performed at Queen Elizabeth Hospital when Zeren was two years old, followed by years of intensive speech therapy
- Father works at an auto repair company and takes on additional jobs, logging 13-14 hours daily to support the family and cover mounting medical costs
- Annual cochlear implant maintenance costs approximately $3,200 for battery replacements alone, with complete external unit replacement reaching $80,000
- Mother, a former kindergarten teacher, resigned from her job to become Zeren's full-time caregiver and speech therapy supervisor
- Family resides in Yuen Long and travels 1.5 hours daily to Shangde Early Childhood Centre in Tseung Kwan O for specialized training
- Father joined the Concerned Parents Association for Hearing-Impaired Students under the Hong Kong Association for the Deaf to advocate for better support services
- Hong Kong Association for the Deaf's Cochlear Implant Charitable Fund has approved over 330 applications and disbursed more than $1.5 million to date
Why It Matters
The family's experience exposes critical gaps in Hong Kong's support system for hearing-impaired individuals. While the government funds initial cochlear implant surgery, ongoing maintenance costs fall entirely on families, creating substantial financial hardship . Mr. Leung's decision to join advocacy efforts underscores how hearing-impaired communities often must self-organize to secure basic rights and resources, highlighting the importance of public awareness and policy reform for minority groups with special needs .
The family's experience exposes critical gaps in Hong Kong's support system for hearing-impaired individuals. While the government funds initial cochlear implant surgery, ongoing maintenance costs fall entirely on families, creating substantial financial hardship . Mr. Leung's decision to join advocacy efforts underscores how hearing-impaired communities often must self-organize to secure basic rights and resources, highlighting the importance of public awareness and policy reform for minority groups with special needs .