Zion Mann, a six-year-old boy in South Auckland who was born with a condition called Microtia Atresia (no outer ear canal or ear) is to have an operation in America to restore his hearing and reconstruct his left ear.
He is counting down the days to when he will collect NZ$91,000 for ear surgery. “I would like to be able to hear like my friends and family,” Zion told a New Zealand Pacific reporter.
“Mum says that my operation is going to take nine hours and they are going to drill through my skull and make me a left ear. Because this is a big operation it’s going to cost my mum and dad heaps of money. The operation is booked for Monday 2nd August 2010, but mum says we still don’t have enough money.”
The combined operation is only available in America and will be performed by the pioneers of the operation Dr Roberson and Dr Rienisch at the California Ear Institute at Palo Alto California.
Just 60 days before the surgery date the Mann family residing in Papatoetoe has appealed to the public to help raise funds for the operation.
Zion’s mother Fiona Mann says her boy who is studying at the Holy Cross Primary School in Papatoetoe was born with this condition in his left ear resulting in lack of hearing and also speech difficulties.
She worries the operation alone will cost NZ$91,000 excluding accommodation, travel expenses and as they depart from Auckland on 28th July there is not much time left.
“I feel so bad when people stare at his little ear and kids point at it,” says Mrs Mann. “Zion doesn’t show how he feels but it really hurts me and I pray that he hears from both ears and talks properly.
“He has endured and overcome so many obstacles in his six years that we as parents have learnt so much from his character and we will never know what life would be like hearing only with one ear and having to put up with people staring and asking questions.”
Mr Matafai, a Samoan who has been helping the family to raise funds says, “If we as a community get together we can really make things happen. He is in the process of starting a charitable group known as the Blessings Foundation consisting of a group of volunteers who are ready to dedicate their time on the needy people in the community.
mg06
