"I Can Hear Now"... Samsung Changwon Hospital Restores Hearing to Nepalese Child with Cochlear Implant Surgery

Migrant Worker's Daughter Regains Hearing Through Support Program
Heartwarming Journey Captured in Touching Video

Sungkyunkwan University Samsung Changwon Hospital has successfully performed a cochlear implant surgery for a Nepalese child with hearing loss, giving the gift of hope to a family of migrant workers.

The child who regained her hearing is Kriti, the two-year-old daughter of Mohan, a migrant worker from Nepal. Mohan, who works at a company in Uiryeong County, Gyeongsangnam-do, decided to seek treatment in Korea after noticing that his daughter did not respond to loud noises even after her first birthday.

Upon arrival in Korea, Kriti underwent a detailed ENT examination and was diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss, showing no response even to loud sounds at the level of a car horn (about 100 dB). As both ears had no hearing function at all, recovery with hearing aids was impossible, and a cochlear implant surgery was required. However, the high cost of the surgery and long-term rehabilitation was a significant burden for Mohan, who was solely responsible for supporting his family.

Samsung Changwon Hospital, upon learning of Mohan's situation, reviewed his case for the "Bright Sound Support Program." Since 2018, this program, run by Samsung Seoul Hospital and Samsung Changwon Hospital, has provided cochlear implant surgeries and rehabilitation therapy for hearing-impaired patients who are medically underserved.

After being selected as a beneficiary through the review process, Kriti underwent cochlear implant surgery in June by Professor Seo Ji-won’s ENT team (with speech therapist Kim Bo-young) and began rehabilitation therapy. She is now in the recovery phase, responding to sounds.

Meanwhile, the company in Uiryeong County where Mohan works also extended a helping hand by providing company housing and a vehicle, allowing Kriti and her family to stay comfortably and commute to the hospital during the lengthy treatment period.

Mohan, Kriti’s father, expressed his heartfelt gratitude, saying, “When I realized my daughter did not respond to sounds, I always carried a heavy burden as a parent. Now, I have been freed from that guilt. Thanks to the medical staff at Samsung Changwon Hospital, from the cochlear implant surgery to speech therapy, my daughter is experiencing the miracle of hearing and speaking.”

Oh Juhyun, Director of Samsung Changwon Hospital, stated, “The story of Kriti’s family is a meaningful example of bringing hope to a family beyond borders. We will continue to be a hospital that brings hope to the local community and residents through various social contribution activities, such as the cochlear implant support program.”

Samsung Changwon Hospital has documented this treatment process in a six-minute video. The video focuses on Mohan’s emotional journey before and after the treatment, as well as the family’s path to regaining their smiles. It vividly captures scenes of Kriti recognizing sounds and practicing speaking at the hospital and at home, and the moving moment when she fully responds to sound. The video has been released through the official YouTube channel of Samsung Changwon Hospital.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.