Merry Christmas and Happy 2016!

A lot of wonderful blessings have poured in our lives this year especially to my baby Enzo who needed it most. We will be forever grateful to our family, friends and friends of our friends who reached out to support the activities we've put up to help raise funds for Enzo's impending cochlear implantation. 

Our first target for the operation should have happened last September. Unfortunately, we weren't able to proceed because of the high cost of the cochlear implants, doctor's fee and hospitalization bill. As a mother, I'd like to give the best care that I can provide to my son this is why I opted to take this path and asked for your support for the fundraiser.

We've managed to organize several mountaineering events - DAYO, Hulugan Falls and the rappelling for a cause in Buruwisan; the GiveForward.com fundraiser put up by a close friend; and to several individuals who weren't present in the activities but didn't forget to share their blessings. 

The amount needed for Enzo's cochlear implantation is P985,000. This includes the Concierto Implant from MED-EL, doctor's professional fee and the overall hospitalization bill. So far, we've only managed to raise P125,855 still far from our goal yet a modest turnout since we started the fundraiser four months ago.

I fervently pray to the Lord that Enzo will soon receive the gift of sound within the first quarter of 2016. We are racing against time since this is the best age when he can have the operation and be able to hear again. 

Again, thank you for your genuine support. Belated Merry Christmas!

To learn more about Enzo's condition, kindly read HERE.

Please follow this blog for more updates about Enzo and to learn more about hearing loss in children and other related information.

For more information, contact Kat at (+63) 917-8067905 or email enzogiftofsound@gmail.com.

I am mommy's super hero!

December 25, 2015

To learn more about Enzo's condition, kindly read HERE.

Please follow this blog for more updates about Enzo and to learn more about hearing loss in children and other related information.

For more information, contact Kat at (+63) 917-8067905 or email enzogiftofsound@gmail.com.

Imagine World Without Sound: Rappelling for a Cause

Mt. Romelo (Buruwisan), Sinoloan, Famy, Laguna

Thank you to Nature Adventist Questers for providing the logistics and rope works for this activity.

To learn more about Enzo's condition, kindly read HERE.

Please follow this blog for more updates about Enzo and to learn more about hearing loss in children and other related information.

For more information, contact Kat at (+63) 917-8067905 or email enzogiftofsound@gmail.com.

Photo credit goes to the owners of the images. 

A Thank You Note (Batch II)

Source: Hubpages.com

Thank you for sharing your blessings to Enzo.

Dayo Outdoor Group
Basecamp Outdoor Laguna
Donabel Santos
Neil Biadora
Roy Limbaga
Jhun Bucod
Icey Valenciano
Marc Tan
Glenda Bernabe
Shirley Puerto Pascual

We'll be forever grateful for your support and generosity.

To learn more about Enzo's condition, kindly read HERE.

Please follow this blog for more updates about Enzo and to learn more about hearing loss in children and other related information.

For more information, contact Kat at (+63) 917-8067905 or email enzogiftofsound@gmail.com.

Enzo's First Trick or Treat

To learn more about Enzo's condition, kindly read HERE.

Please follow this blog for more updates about Enzo and to learn more about hearing loss in children and other related information.

For more information, contact Kat at (+63) 917-8067905 or email enzogiftofsound@gmail.com.

Enzo at Hulugan Falls

Mom Kat and Enzo at Hulugan Falls in Laguna
November 2015

You can only see and feel the world around you. I often wonder about your thoughts as you gaze at the giant falls and swim in the icy cold water. This unfamiliar territory, where there are no busy streets but only the peaceful embrace of the lush green forest. 

I pray someday that you'll hear the mighty sound of the water falling from above, on this same place. I pray that my wish for you will be fulfilled so that you will be able to see and feel the world around you better when you finally receive the gift of sound. 

-----

To learn more about Enzo's condition, kindly read HERE.

Please follow this blog for more updates about Enzo and to learn more about hearing loss in children and other related information.

For more information, contact Kat at (+63) 917-8067905 or email enzogiftofsound@gmail.com.

Happy 2nd Birthday Enzo

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with

yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than

 the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

-- an excerpt from Max Ehrmann's poem Desiderata

Dayo hosts successful mountaineering activities for Enzo

The weekends of August and September were the busiest months of 2015 for baby Enzo's family and friends.

Mommy Kat is an active member of the mountaineering group DAYO. In cooperation with the outdoor group, they launched a series of climbing activities to help raise funds for Enzo's cochlear implantation.

Around 139 participants plus guests joined the climb. Here's the unofficial head count posted on Enzo/Dayo's Facebook group:

• Mt. Maculot August 22, 2015
  10 participants

Team Maculot (dubbed as the Pabebe Group)

• Bolinao
  August 29, 2015
  10 participants

Team Bolinao (dubbed as Rose among the Thorn)

• Mt. Batulao 
  September 5, 2015
  13 participants

Team Batulao (dubbed as The Lucky 13)

• Mt. Mabilog
  September 12, 2015
  37 participants

Team Mt. Mabilog (dubbed as Usapang Bilog)

• Mt. Manabu
  September 19, 2015
  44 participants 

Team Mt. Manabu (dubbed as Climb with Kapeng Barako)

• Mt. Manalmon
  September 26, 2015
  35 participants

Team Manalmon (dubbed as Twin Hike)

A culminating event for all participants was supposed to take place last October 17 and 18 at Magalawa Island Amada Resort in Zambales wherein the amount collected from the climbs will be awarded to Enzo and mom Kat. Unfortuntely, Kat and little Enzo wasn't able to join the group in Zambales due to weather disturbance that week. 

Dayo's successful climb for a cause for Enzo raised a total of Php 60,430.00 collected from the registration fee, donation from participants and t-shirt sale. 

Baby Enzo, mommy Kat and their family are grateful for the time and energy shared by the participants and DAYO's support for this cause. 

To learn more about Enzo's condition, kindly read HERE.

Please follow this blog for more updates about Enzo and to learn more about hearing loss in children and other related information.

For more information, contact Kat at (+63) 917-8067905 or email enzogiftofsound@gmail.com.

Photo credit goes to the owners of the images. 

Cochlear Implantation: How does it work?

If you've been following Enzo's journey, the main inspiration for putting up this blog is to raise funds for his cochlear implantation.

What is cochlear implantation? 

According to the American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA),

A cochlear implant is a device that provides stimulation directly to the auditory nerve, bypassing damaged hair cells in the cochlea that prevent sound from reaching the nerve. An implant does not result in "restored" hearing for the recipient, but does allow him or her to perceive sounds.

Children as young as twelve months of age can become a candidate for cochlear implantation so long as the child has severe to profound hearing loss in both ears. 

In Enzo's case, his medical profile from the Philippine National Ear Institute showed that he has Bilateral Profound Hearing Loss. His condition was only discovered when he was seven months old. He is turning two this October 23. 

According to the summary report submitted by Dr. Charlotte M. Chiong, cochlear implantation is strongly recommended for him to have a chance to access the frequencies that are not accessible with hearing aids. 

Through the recommendation of doctors, Mommy Kat found MED-EL Philippines, Inc. for Enzo's implantation. 

However, the cost of the cochlear implants can't be handled alone by Enzo's family. How much will it cost?

Enzo's conchlear implants will be the MED-EL CONCERTO SYSTEM. The unit's original price is Php 1,330,000,00 (including taxes and duties).

Fortunately, MED-EL has offered a discounted price for the unit at Php 950, 000 (including taxes and duties) inclusive of the following:

• One (1) year speech therapy
• Two (2) years free programming and fitting of the system

MED-EL's Concerto Cochlear Implant 
photo credit: MED-EL

The Concerto, described by MED-EL as "the world's smallest titanium cochlear implant", has a variety of "the softest and most flexible electrode arrays ever produced." 

What does MED-EL actually mean by this? 

The company "developed a wave-shaped wire design that enables the electrode to flex and bend making it perfectly suitable for insertion into the cochlea."

The electrode is an electrical conductor responsible for transmitting the electrical simulation to the nerve fibers in the cochlea.

Here is a video from MED-EL explaining how cochlear implant works:

Video from MED-EL's YouTube 

MED-EL's Concerto is the perfect implant for Enzo considering that the unit's flexibility fits his age. This will be surgically placed in his ears and will be worn hopefully in his lifetime. 

To learn more about MED-EL, the CONCERTO and the other hearing aid technologies developed by the company, you can visit the following links:

• CONCERTO|
  http://www.medel.com/components-concerto/
• Hearing Preservation
  http://www.medel.com/hearingpreservation/titel=The%20Importance%20of%20Hearing%20Preservation&

To learn more about Enzo's condition, kindly read HERE.

Please follow this blog for more updates about Enzo and to learn more about hearing loss in children and other related information.

For more information, contact Kat at (+63) 917-8067905 or email enzogiftofsound@gmail.com.

A Day in the Life | Enzo's Therapy Part 2: Occupational Therapy

In one of our earlier posts, we've learned about the various therapies Enzo needed for his learning development (Read: A day in the life | Enzo's Therapy Part 1: Language and Speech).

Aside from his language and speech therapy, Dr. Agnes Falcotelo, his developmental pediatrician at Capitol Medical Center, required him to undergo an Occupational Therapy focusing on ADL (Activity on Daily Living) and behavioral activity.

Enzo with his therapist/teacher Alvin Wang of CHIPS Inc.

What is occupational therapy?

According to KidsHealth.Org:

Occupational therapy (OT) treatment focuses on helping people with a physical, sensory, or cognitive disability be as independent as possible in all areas of their lives. OT can help kids with various needs improve their cognitive, physical, sensory, and motor skills and enhance their self-esteem and sense of accomplishment.

Enzo's occupational therapy is also held at CHIPS Inc. with his teacher Alvin Wang. He uses different tools such as chewy tubes, ball and toys that can help him develop his motor skills and learn actions such as 'give', 'throw away', 'pack away' and 'bye bye' among others.

He is also learning how to play with toys properly.

Enzo learning balance control with a vestibular ball.

Here are just some of the tools that Enzo play with during therapy:

Aside from these therapies, his mommy Kat also wants to him to grow and become familiar in an environment where he can be physically active and confident.

Mommy Kat and Enzo at the Marikina Sports Complex

To learn more about Enzo's condition, kindly read HERE.

Please follow this blog for more updates about Enzo and to learn more about hearing loss in children and other related information.

For more information, contact Kat at (+63) 917-8067905 or email enzogiftofsound@gmail.com.

A Thank You Note (Batch I)

Source: Todayscreativelife.com

We would like to thank everyone who has shared Enzo's story to their family and friends and for taking the time to visit, read and share this blog through social media.

Enzo and Kat would also like to sincerely thank the following people who have shared their blessings.

Mr. Danilo Castro - UK
Ms. Bel Molina-Valdez - NY
Ms. Mina Grace Joseph - NY
Ms. Rochelle Abulencia - Manila
Mr. Melvin Dimalanta - Dubai
Mr. Jayson Birung (Tau Gamma Phi Triskelion Intl Dubai, UAE)
Mr. Nelson Bautista - Jeddah KSA
Ms. Ailene Balagtas-Paul -  Kenmore, Washington.
Ms. Meiricel Ramos - Manila

We'll be forever grateful for your support and generosity.

To learn more about Enzo's condition, kindly read HERE.

Please follow this blog for more updates about Enzo and to learn more about hearing loss in children and other related information.

For more information, contact Kat at (+63) 917-8067905 or email enzogiftofsound@gmail.com.