Reason to Rejoice with Ruzean

Reason to Rejoice with Ruzean

It was in the month of January 2014 as part of my Doctoral research process I was visiting various educational centres of our Christian organizations in the four dioceses of Gujarat.  Primarily I had to interview a few students with disabilities and non-disabilities; their parents and principals; administrators and teachers in the selected schools and colleges in order to assess the impact of the inclusive education in their respective educational institutions.

As a process, after having received the permission, I reached in the morning to interview the English medium students of St. Anne school, Kalol in Gandhinagar Archdiocese. While the interview was on, the concern filled Principal Rev. Sr. Sissy Scaria, SchSA approached me with the mother and child and said, “Father, this 12 year old Ruzean is our student. She cannot hear and speak. She is in 6^th standard. I fully trust in God and you. Do something please!” Having listened to the genuine request of the disabled-friendly Principal, the young divorced mother Mrs. Bilkis Sulemanbhai Ghanchi, standing nearby pleaded me with her painful tears: “Please Father, heal my daughter from such hearing and speech impairments”. While such conversations were on, Ruzean Asif was in her own world, for neither she heard the requests nor could she request me for such a healing. Instead, she kept on smiling and was holding the hands of her younger sister Kushboo, the 4^th standard girl of the same school. In the midst of such an environment, what I enjoyed the most was the innocent smile of the relaxed Ruzean and her direct pierced look into my eyes. Having experienced such a scene I assured the mother, the peon of the school by saying: “Sure. I assure that one day this girl will hear and speak. Let’s trust in God’s healing power. Can you, the mother and the Principal, join me for this noble cause?” To my pointed question they answered at once, “By all means Father...!” Thus began our collaborative new evangelization work!

Later, after two months, I had taken the mother and child to the OPD section of the civil hospital, Ahmedabad. There we met my old friend Dr. Rajesh Vishwakarma, the ENT specialist, the HOD of ENT section. From the year 2000 he has been assisting us at various intervals such persons in need of our Unteshwari Sammilitalayam, a centre for the persons with all kinds and categories of disabilities. Having listened to us and the initial investigation, Ruzean was sent by him for a proper check up to Shabda-Brahma – Speech and Hearing clinic in TF/3 Aakar complex near Golden Triangle, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad. After having checked thoroughly, the report was handed over to us.

According to the Report the following tests were done to assess the hearing. Here I present below in order to appreciate the present day scientific process and to praise God for all such use of human intelligence.

1.    PTA – Test was done in double walled sound treated room. Sound was presented through calibrated audiometer via headphones. Test revealed profound sensorineural hearing loss in right ear and moderate to profound sloping sensorineural hearing loss in left ear.

2.    TEOAE – Test was done using Intelligent Hearing System in sound treated condition. Each ear tested ipsilaterally, which revealed REFER suggesting poor outer hair cells functioning.

3.    BERA – Done using Intelligent Hearing System in sound treated condition. Each ear tested ipsilaterally. Tested with filter setting 100-3000Hz and repetition rate of 30.1. No response was obtained even at highest intensities in right ear which revealed Severe to Profound hearing loss. Response could be obtained till 80dBnHL in the left ear that revealed moderately severe to severe hearing loss.

4.    ASSR – Test was done using Intelligent Hearing System, under relaxed state. Each ear was tested independently. Test revealed severe to profound hearing loss on the tested frequencies (250Hz, 500Hz, 1kHz, 2kHz and 4kHz) in right ear and moderately severe to profound sloping hearing loss in the left ear.

Hence, the Provisional Diagnosis was: in Right ear – Profound sensorineural hearing loss and in Left ear – Moderate to profound sloping sensorincural hearing loss. Finally, it was recommended to consult further Dr. Rajesh Vishwakarma; To provide adequate amplification in Both Ears (Bimodal Right ear – Cochlear implant and Left ear – digital hearing aid); To go for speech therapy; and to prepare candidate for Cochlear Implant (Benefits and limitations explained); after the implant, to follow up needed.

We, with the report, went to meet Dr. Rajesh Vishwakarma. Having seen the report finally he said:  “Father, I hope, your request will be granted with God’s intervention and our human accompaniment. We hope soon she will be able to hear and speak with the RIGHT SIDE COCHLEAR IMPLANT SURGERY OPERATION. I will be the one doing such a surgery with the team our Doctors here in the civil hospital itself. The device will cost about rupees five and half lakhs. Providing such a device is done freely by the Ministry of Health under Gujarat government. Since the girl is studying, kindly apply for the school health programme of the government”.

Then Dr. Rajesh explained to us the meaning of Cochlear Implant. He said: A Cochlear Implant (CI) is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing. It may help provide hearing in patients who are deaf because of damage to sensory hair cells in their cochleas. In those patients, the implants often can enable sufficient hearing for better understanding of speech. The quality of sound is different from natural hearing, with less sound information being received and processed by the brain. However, many patients are able to hear and understand speech and environmental sounds. Newer devices and processing-strategies allow recipients to hear better in noise, enjoy music, and even use their implant processors while swimming. He also explained about the Parts of the cochlear implant. According to him, the implant is surgically placed under the skin behind the ear. The basic parts of the device include external and internal.

External:

• one or more microphones which picks up sound from the environment
• a speech processor which selectively filters sound to prioritize audible speech, splits the sound into channels and sends the electrical sound signals through a thin cable to the transmitter
• a transmitter, which is a coil held in position by a magnet placed behind the external ear, and transmits power and the processed sound signals across the skin to the internal device by electromagnetic induction,

Internal:

• a receiver and stimulator secured in bone beneath the skin, which converts the signals into electric impulses and sends them through an internal cable to electrodes,
• an array of up to 22 electrodes wound through the cochlea, which send the impulses to the nerves in the scala tympani and then directly to the brain through the auditory nerve system.

Having listened to the Doctor, the enthusiastic mother took special interest to acquire the necessary documents from the Gandhinagar Gujarat Government’s office and submitted them to the ENT section of the civil hospital. Since days and months were running, the desperate mother was constantly phoning up to me to ask about the date of surgery. I gently counselled and prepared her to have patience and informed her to prepare her daughter to go for this programme. Well, I can imagine how the mother was longing to experience her daughter hearing and speaking! Finally, in the month of January 2015 she received the final call for the implant. Ruzean was the 42^nd person of such an approved cochlear implant programme of the Government. Sr. Pushpa Mohan, SchSA, the socio-pastoral collaborator of Kalol Parish willingly accompanied the mother and child and got the girl admitted in the civil hospital. The following day, just before the operation I met Dr. Rajesh and listened to him.

After wishing him, I blessed the girl. Then she was taken into the operation theatre. On 21^st January, 2015 she was operated in the afternoon and the MED-EL Cochlear implant device, manufactured in Austria – Europe, was fixed at the right side of the ear by Dr. Rajesh and his team of doctors and nurses.

After the operation she remained in the hospital for about ten days and finally she was discharged to go home with the bandage. Right now she is convalescing in her residence at Kalol. Later she will continue to participate in the follow up of this programme.

Today, all those who go to visit her in her residence at Kalol are amazed to see her hearing and speaking with a smiling face. I too went to see her. WOW! Oh, what a memorable experience it was!

 

By seeing her daughter conversing with me, the exited mother exclaimed, “Finally, Khuda has heard my prayers Father! My soul rejoices, for God has done wonders in my daughter Ruzean. Thank you Fr. Girish!”  Well, by these words I was humbled, for I know very well that it was not I but it was God who laboured through various persons of good will to make Ruzean hear and speak. At this moment, I could encounter the joyful tears of Ruzean’s beloved mother. Oh, what a moment of grace for all of us! Indeed it was a unique experience for all of us to journey with Ruzean and Bilkis for a noble cause! While being with them in their residence, deep down I was thanking God for his marvellous work and in silence I recalled after blessing the girl the words of Simeon in the Temple: “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:29 – 32). Hence, while celebrating this year as the Year of Consecrated Life, our religious consecration has a meaning and we, as the consecrated missionaries of Kadi – Kalol, have the reason to REJOICE with Ruzean!

In this context we fondly remember the Gospel of Mark 7:34f – Jesus said to the deaf and dumb person, "Ephphatha!" that is, "Be opened!" And his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was removed, and he began speaking plainly. Thus, in this way, the Good News is shared today with all peoples of God and constantly all are motivated to experience the modern miracles of Jesus in the context of our North Gujarat Mission. Hence, modern miracles are possible, provided we listen to Him and act according to His will! Let His name alone be praised!

Finally, Bilkis deserves our sincere appreciation for her brave journey! Our heartfelt thanks to the Health Ministry of Gujarat Government and the ENT Staff of the civil hospital, especially to Dr. Rajesh Vishwakarma, a person with a difference and a modern miracle worker of our times! Thank you Sir.

Fr. Girish Santiago, SJ