SOS! Baby Uriah needs help

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Jonathan Linley and baby Uriah

 

Jonathan Linley, an audio engineer, musician, worship leader and now pastor at Relentless Love Church, and his wife Carina, are raising funds for their son Uriah. Sixteen-month-old Uriah has just undergone surgery for a cochlear implant to develop his ability for speech and listening. A further implant will also be required. The SOS has donated R10 000 towards medical expenses but any help will be gratefully appreciated.

With a love for music, Jonathan started volunteering at Light of the Nations International Ministries in Polokwane 22 years ago at the age of 13. “I joined the sound, lighting and music team where I was able to grow and work with some of the best musicians, singers and speakers both locally and internationally such as Benny Hinn, Paula White, Jonathan Cain (Journey), Joshua Brown (Planetshakers), Loyiso Bala, Joe Niemand and Heinz Winckler.”

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Uriah was born on 10th April 2018, strong and reaching all his baby milestones, but at nine months old, his parents realized there was a problem with his ability to hear. He was not making the usual baby noises or reacting to voices or sounds. A visit to an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist in Pretoria, followed up by testing at an audiologist, resulted in Uriah being placed under local anesthetic for an Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) test. The ABR test measures the reaction of the parts of a child’s nervous system that affect hearing. Uriah’s parents were given the heartbreaking news that he was deaf in his left ear and partially deaf in his right ear.

“We immediately had earmolds made and two days later hearing aids were fitted into both ears,” Carina remembers. “The transformation was incredible but not enough for him to be able to talk and lead the life of a hearing person. The hearing loss in both ears was so severe that hearing aids would only benefit him slightly.”

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Carina Linley

 

According to Carina, the Ear Institute in Queenswood Pretoria, the Ear and Eye Clinic in Johannesburg and the Cochlear division of Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town all recommended cochlear implants in both ears. A cochlear implant is an electronic device that is surgically placed under the skin. It is a device that aims to provide useful hearing sensations and improved communication ability for people who have a significant hearing loss or who receive little benefit from a hearing aid. The implant and sound processor work together to transfer sounds from the environment into electrical signals which are then presented to the inner ear. The inner ear and brain then perceive these signals as sound or hearing. “In this way, Uriah will be able to communicate and not have to rely on lip-reading or sign language,” said Carina.

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The procedure is expensive and the couple have to raise over R700 000. The SOS charity fund, an initiative by DWR Distribution, has donated R10 000 towards the cause but hope to reach more support.

“Music runs in my family and it would be incredible if it had to continue through my sons,” said Jonathan. “Having Uriah hear music is something I would do anything to make happen.”

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If you can assist or for more information, please see the following links:

Uriah’s gogetfunding account –

https://gogetfunding.com/help-uriah-hear/

 

Link to watch when Uriah got hearing aids for the first time –

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U29VDBEc3E&feature=youtu.be

Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/Uriah-Linley-1058660284333721/