You Made My Daughter Deaf. Now Pay for Cochlear Implants.
Tuesday March 4, 2008
A little girl in the Maldives became deaf after possible medical malpractice by a hospital. She was inappropriately given Gentamycin, a known ototoxic drug. Now her parents are suing to get the money to pay for cochlear implants in the hope of restoring their daughter's hearing. Time is also running out..the child was deafened at age three and is now four years old. According to her father, the child is "always angry" now.
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Related on About.com: Ototoxicity
Comments
I’d sue their ass too ! You put complete trust in your medical help, and entrust your children and your life to them. The child is going to need support for life, they ARE aware the CI ISN’T a ‘cure’ ?
Hi MM,
The CI isn’t a cure for deafness. I think most people get that. But it does help. When a drug like Gentomycin has destroyed all your hearing, then its highly unlikely that not even a hearing aid will give any sound at all.
We all know that lipreading with some sound, even if it’s hearing speech patterns, can help a lot.
Most deaf people can and will wear hearing aids for exactly that same reason. A CI is no different, however in some cases it gives much more than that.
If I were those parents, I would be suing the docs arses off as well, and if they can get soemthing to aid lipreading in the process – well good on them.
Cheers
Robyn in NZ
The father better get used to it real quick. His daughter is deaf for the rest of her life, and there is nothing anyone can do to change that, not even a lawsuit. If she is qualified for a CI and it works, great. But he will still have to accept her deafness and work with it. It isn’t fair to have the anger taken out on his daughter.
My bad, I misread it and thought the father was always angry, ignore my comment above.
My son,Jacob is deaf as well. The cause of that is the drug Gentamiacin. It saved his life of course. I had lawyers tell me that I could sue the doctors, but I decided to enjoy the gift that God has allowed for me and Jacob and I just went on with life. He now 12 years old and has a cochlear implant in one ear. He is doing wonderful in school and in life in general. Now, don’t get me wrong. I understand the anger that you are dealing with (I have been there)and if you feel you should sue, then by all means do so. I just wanted to let you know that it does get better. I would not change Jacob now if I could. I think that he is just what God intended. He is such a blessing to everyone that comes in contact with him. God bless you and your child.
Rox and MM,
I agree with you.. but They often think Doctor is right and right more information about CI after she gave the medicine seem not right for their daughter.
Lawyer and malpractice should deal with the parent’s unware about medicine can influence their daughter’s hearing loss. It is their doctor’s fault.
Remember that Doctor are not above the GOD!!
FYI… I didn’t know the consequences of the drug when they gave it Jacob. In fact, the doctors did not consult me in any way before they gave it to him…I assume they done what needed to be done to save his life. It was their fault, Yes, but I would hate to save a childs life and then be sued for doing so….
I agree. If the physician had said OK I have a drug that can save your child’s life but she may become Deaf if I give it to her; would the parents have said “No way! Let her die!” Of course not. Being Deaf is not a death sentence and the parents should take the time to learn about Deaf culture and the Deaf community. There is a whole world of support if they just look for it and make a decision about a coclear implant based not only on what medical professionals say but Deaf professionals say.
Beth, you are so right. I am not deaf of course, but my son is. I would not take the Deaf community away from him if I could. I believe that Jacob is exactly the way God intended for him to be. I will not 2nd guess that for a minute. As far as the parents with the little girl go, I stongly encourage you to start searching in the direction of the Deaf culture and Deaf community before you go to the doctors for a CI. Your little girl will always be deaf. Even if she has a CI. She needs the support of the deaf community now and she will for the rest of her life. You will certainly benefit in abundance as well. Please know that I understand what you are going through. I know that it is hard to know what to do next. This is something that you never thought would be important in your life, but it is now and you need to put out feelers in your area for the deaf community.
The child needs to get the Cochlear Implants ASAP because of speech and language development between birth and age 5. Keep fighting!
Hey, don’t need to worry about CI at all. Let her enjoy her being deaf and let her see her idenity. I am being profound deaf when I was born. My parents were so positive attitudes to teach me that don’t let anyone push me down about deafness and just be myself going out the world with hearing and deaf cultures. I do wear my hearing aids good enough than CI cuz CI can’t remove in the head and hearing aids can remove anytime I want. Now I can see what people are saying CI that really causing headaches, migraines, not comfortable while playing the sports like anything that can kick the ball into the head that really hurt so badly. Like for example: when I had my right foot that put inside of metal while I had foot surgery and dr told me not to hurt my foot anything into the wall, furnitures and ball. If I did careless myself to have that accident and that’s really hurting me alot and painful, too. So I had dr removing it out of my foot last year and felt it so great. No more hurting at all. Now I can see what people or kids feel the pain whatever that happen again. So I won’t let little kids to adults having that CI cuz that make me so sick to see that head big scars terrible. You have to accept your little girl deaf so what that is nothing wrong with it. I love being deaf whole my life and not to be suffer at all till being old woman same thing to loss the hearing.
Jacob plays football, basketball and baseball. He has never had a problem with getting hurt when he is playing. He has never had headaches because of his CI either. His scar is visable, but it is almost like a badge of honor with him and his friends. As a matter of fact, I have seen many of his hearing friends ask him if they can try his CI on. Of course they can’t, but the point is, that the scar doesn’t bother him and it doesn’t hurt
Melody,
Excellent example what you have say .. To be deaf idenity. I agree with you about your comment seem fitting what I thought..
See the doctor still never able to became as God. They think they know everything.. My answer is NO!.. Just money to earn and allowing Health Insurance seem that it is mistreat and not being fair for some deaf people need a hearing aid. which the health insurance would not cover the kind of hearing aid should be paid by health insurance.. Not CI. It is not being fair!!
I would just leave my Deaf daughter normal alone than watching her suffering and very frustrating for rest of her life with all of these kind of drugs and surgeries for just the money!!
Only I want to see allllllll Deaf children be normal the way they are! I am happy that I am Deaf, I thanked my parents who not wanted me to be suffer with any kind of these robots like cochlear implants as this is the major drugs harm mentally and health, too.
I wish you all just give me all of your Deaf children and let me raise them myself if you not want any of your Deaf children!!
Thanks,
LuLu Long
I just wanted to add this comments….
Honest with you all, I do have my own four Deaf sons, they all are very happy that I not allow any of your cochlear implants done for any of your drugs and money, too.
Sorry for these who had their cochlear implants that effected them most addicted to some of these drugs which harm their mentally and health, too.
I would say for surely who just lost their hearing that could have their cochlear implant instead of who is totally Deaf since birth! I would file lawsuit on any of these doctors who been enforced about the cochlear implant since I read some news about some Deaf children died from just got their cochlear implants and I would force any of these doctors to pay the funeral and everything for what harm to destory a family!
Thanks,
LuLu Long
Yes, I know that insurance won’t cover the hearing aids at all and only for CI that they can cover. I knew that all drs only want the money that people can buy CI so they can live so easy life than us suffer. BS and no way! That’s why I can’t afford to get new ones of hearing aids. But it will save my pocket without hearing aids for a while. I feel maybe one day that insurance will pay for hearing aids in the present or future when CI will destroy gone.
i never thought my daughter was deaf and social service took her away!! i need help, im only 24!I WANT MY CHILD BACK
accept the fact that your daughter is deaf. she’s angry because of what’s going on around her. she picks it up from her parents it seems.
cochlear implants are not the answer. your daughter should be old enough to make the decision herself. i have 3 girlfriends with the implant, and 2 wish their parents didn’t make the choice for them. 1 was able to make the choice when she turned 16. they don’t help her anyways.
why don’t you learn american sign language, and let her meet other peers like herself? she will be way more happier once she knows that she’s not the only one in this world who is unable to hear. trust me.
i grew up with a severe hearing loss. the doctors told my parents to raise me like they would raise any other child. it taught me how to interact in the “real” world, and to be independent, unlike some deaf people.
you need to be educated more before you make life decisions about the implants.
I just found out my 8 month old is profoundly deaf. My thought is, much like being adopted and you want things answered and people say “you should just be thankful to have your family, people have things they need answered for closure and if you don’t have a deaf child, or even a child- please don’t even comment on this thread!!!
My daughter had to have a small bowel/liver and pancreas transplant at age 1 and then the staff inadvertently gave her the flu where genthromiacyn and vancomiacyn were both administered in the strongest dose in order to save her life. She then went deaf at age 18 months. Because of her complications it took me another nearly 2 years to have her tested and then implanted with a CI..she is now mainstreamed at a tiny private school after 3 years of specialty private deaf school and the CI. There is hope. Anyone is ANGRY when they cannot communicate, especially when they do not understand why. Hang in there. You likely signed a waiver for the drugs and may have no recourse, as I know I signed a waiver. Maybe you did not and if so, sue sue sue. Most countries, states etc. offer programs or grants to help fund the processor and surgery but it is hard work finding it..they are out there though. Good luck!