The R270\u2009000 gift of hearing a little girl recently received, has been ripped away after the outer part of her cochlear implant got lost and presumably taken in a shoe store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe keeps on asking for it (the implant) and touching her ears,\u201d Millicent Worship, the grandmother of Leah Roodt (1 year, 11 months) says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a huge loss. She can\u2019t hear at all now. It\u2019s such a terrible thing that happened.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leah, from Athlone, received a cochlear implant last year when radio station KFM heard of her story and organised donations of around R270\u2009000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The tale led many to tears when Worship was heard crying and screaming with joy on air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Worship says the family was in Bellville for Leah\u2019s session with hearing therapists at the Carel du Toit Centre on Thursday 22 June.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After her appointment the family went shopping at the Jordan Footwear Factory Shop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When they left the store Leah\u2019s grandfather realised that the outer part of her cochlear implant was missing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thinking the device just fell of, they rushed back inside where a fruitless search ensued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Security footage shows a man with dreadlocks and dark clothes kicking the device where it was hard to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He then picks up the device and walks out of the store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mariette Nosworthy, an early interventionist at Carel du Toit centre who works with Leah, says people easily mistake the cochlear implants for earphones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is actually of no value to anyone else. It is programmed specifically to her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nosworthy says it\u2019s a tragedy as Leah was able to learn speech because of the implant. She is completely deaf without it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anybody who has information about the lost implant is urged to call Worship on 082\u2009390\u20095762.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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