“Mum, I want to be able to hear the same way you do!” Help needed!

A couple of years ago, just before Christmas, Janek asked:

“Mummy, can Santa bring me ears for Christmas? I want to be able to hear, just like you and Antek...”

Santa has never fulfilled our Janek’s wishes but there is another possibility to restore his hearing and ears!

Janek was born with underdeveloped auricles and auditory canals. This defect is called microtia with aural atresia. He has been using hearing aids for 11 years, practically since his birth, but they are not very helpful when it comes to his hypoacusis.

Microtia is not just lack of auricles – it comes with many issues that Janek has to face every day. Not only does hearing defect make functioning more difficult but it also influences his safety as he cannot localise the source of a sound. It influences his ability to focus – during lessons, he cannot keep up with the teacher, he cannot hear the instructions. He has to constantly ask the teacher to repeat everything which is frustrating and makes him feel different. When his basketball coach gives him guidance, Janek does not react because he cannot hear. When everybody is laughing at a joke, he only feels that he had missed something. Janek loves breakdance and music but he cannot fully feel it. 

We have been fighting for 11 years to make his life as normal as possible but the truth is harsh – our son knows that many opportunities will never be available to him. And it is more painful for him than we can describe.

In the world of children being different means only one thing – rejection. Janek is aware that sometimes children look at him differently. He can hear whispers he cannot understand. He knows that something is happening but he does not know what. He feels left out despite the fact that he really wants to be a part of the group. He feels resentment towards us, the world and towards everyone who has what he cannot have – the ability to hear normally.

We cannot watch him suffer any longer. The surgery is his only opportunity for a normal life. In the USA, ear reconstruction and opening ear canals is a possibility. It is done by extraordinary doctors who have helped dozens of children like Janek. A cycle of reconstructive surgeries is the only chance to help our son hear the world. To help him hear us – his mother, father, brother Antek and the voices of his close family and friends, without hearing aids. So he can play basketball without limitations or dance to the music he loves. So he can finally feel that he is a part of the world and not someone standing outside.

But the price of these four difficult surgeries, each requiring staying in the USA for a month, is shocking. That is why we are asking for help today. Please, help us give Janek life he deserves. Each, even the smallest donation, helps us get closer to the happiness of our son. Give sounds to Janek. Give ears to Janek. Make his wish come true... Be this Santa...

Janek’s Parents