Prashali's Gift - the joy of hearing and speech

Hi, my name is Peter Shooter and I am fundraising on behalf of a delightful Sri Lankan girl, Prashali. 

In 2014 Prashali was 6 years old and mute, having been born profoundly deaf. Prashali required a Cochlear ear implant to give her hearing and a chance of a normal life. We were successfully able to raise the funds to allow Prashali to have a cochlear impant ($25,000 - in Australia she would have received this implant for free!). 

Prashali then required 5 years of speech therapy. Every week her parents drove her from their home town, Anuradhapura, to Kandy in her father’s tuktuk (3 wheeler taxi). They had to stay overnight, then return. Prashali had 2 hours speech therapy each trip. This has been a huge expense and commitment for her family. They have three children of their own and an adopted niece. 

Prashali has moved on from being a beautiful young deaf mute girl at age 6 to being being a fully vocal 14 year old with good hearing. She loves music, loves to dance and sing. All this would have been denied her but for our efforts to fund her cochlear implant at 6. The electronic external part of her hearing device is now old and failing. It requires constant repairs, which as a superseded model will not always be possible. She needs a new device. Otherwise she will move back to being deaf, which would be an absolute tragedy. 

All funds raised will go to paying for a new Rondo 3 processor and associated costs, which will ensure Prashali continues to enjoy the gift of hearing and speech.