Francisca Soshie who has hearing and vision impairments is appealing to the public for support to procure a pair of hearing aids to help her fit into society.
Her education is in limbo as she is unable to listen and understand lessons during classes.
Diagnosed with damaged eardrums, Francisca needs a pair of hearing aids worth GH₵10,600, to improve her hearing.
Francisca Soshie lives with some 21 other persons living with vision and hearing impairments at the New Horizon Foundation of the Blind Centre in Ho in the Volta region.
Born partially deaf, she lost her vision after writing her Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), plunging her life into difficulties.
This development left her retarded, as she was confined in her home community of Akame in the Volta Region.
“After writing BECE, one day I was washing when my eyes went blind. I couldn’t see again “, she narrated.
Hearing of her unfortunate story, and her father’s inability to support her, Francisca was brought to the Centre in Ho, to enable her access to education.
However, Francisca’s learning abilities are being impeded as she gradually loses her hearing, coupled with the vision impairment.
The Founding Director of the New Horizon Foundation of the Blind Centre, Eric Kwabla Ofori explained that the double agony of Francisca is a great cause of worry.
He stressed that though she is enthusiastic about learning, her impairments are making it difficult for her to grasp what she is being taught.
“We are now training her on how to read and write braille and then the use of the computer, because it’s very useful, very useful when it comes to your inclusivity because that is the tool that you can use to be included in the system.
“So when she is being trained, the teacher has to make a lot of effort before she can pick something. When you ask her, she says ‘Yes I can hear but I don’t know what it is all about’”, he said
After undergoing examinations at the Audiological Assessment Centre at the Ho Teaching Hospital, she was diagnosed with significant hearing loss, due to damaged eardrums.
The clinical Audiologist at the unit, Kplola Ahiatorwor said “Her problem is coming from both the middle ear and the inner ear”, hence proposing a corrective surgery, which cost about Twenty Thousand Ghana Cedis
However, after considering the financial status of the patient, he suggested procuring a pair of behind-the-ear hearing aids to enhance Francisca’s hearing.
Unfortunately, Francisca and her family are unable to raise the GhC10,600 to procure the recommended hearing aids. She is therefore appealing to the general public to support her.
“They took me to the hospital, then the doctor said my ear was damaged, so I need hearing aids, so I need help, or I need someone to help me”, she appealed.
Until help comes, Francisca will continue to struggle with her studies and find it more challenging to fit into society.
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