On the surface, three-year-old Keenan’s striking baby blues may be a feature of envy for many of the people he meets.
But beneath their brilliant exterior, this little boy’s eye colour is a sign of a deeper problem. Doctors suspect that Keenan has Waardenburg syndrome; a very rare genetic disorder that causes, a striking eye colour, hearing loss and other potential neurological disorders.
Keenan lives in Indonesia and has had trouble receiving the specialised audiological care he needs. As he verged on heading to school for the first time, his parents were very concerned about how their boy would cope, especially in having to meet new friends and in listening to his teachers. They knew his hearing loss was just too severe to allow him to thrive and learn to his full potential.
Ear Science Institute Australia was so proud to step in and give this little boy a new lease on his hearing. Through our collaborative Lions Hearing Aid Bank, Keenan was fitted with two hearing devices, allowing him to finally experience the world and his new schooling life in surround sound!
Our Lions Hearing Aid Bank project collects pre-owned hearing devices from people across Australia. The devices are then cleaned and serviced, before being redistributed to areas in need around the world – particularly to schools, orphanages and community centres in developing countries.
We are so proud to have helped Keenan, as this amazing little boy gets ready to go to school, to meet new friends and to hear his teachers, lessons and his family.
