Ivan needs hearing aids to hear his mother’s voice

Ivanko was born into an ordinary hearing family. During his first year of life, he babbled, laughed, and reacted to his mom and dad just like any other baby. But over time, his parents began to notice that he responded to his name less and less, and didn’t react to voices or sounds around him. At first, doctors assured them that the boy was simply a little delayed in development. However, when Ivanko turned four, it became clear – he couldn’t hear at all.

After examinations in Sumy and Kyiv, he was diagnosed with chronic sensorineural hearing loss, grade IV. With this diagnosis, a child either hears no sounds at all, or can only feel very loud, low-frequency vibrations – the rumble of an explosion nearby, the roar of an engine, or a strong thunderclap. But even these sounds are not perceived through the ears – only through the body, as vibrations felt in the chest or bones. For Ivanko, the world is silence – a space where communication happens through touch, facial expressions, gestures, and movement.

Previously, the boy attended a school for deaf children in Lebedyn, but it was closed. Now, Ivanko goes to a regular school in his village. He is almost 11, sociable and sincere, and loves to play with other children. But without hearing aids, he cannot hear them – and most of his peers, unfortunately, do not know sign language. His younger sister helps him communicate, interpreting for him and always supporting him.

Ivanko’s mother works as a social caregiver, looking after elderly people, and in her free time she studies sign language together with her son.

To help Ivanko grow, learn, and hear the world around him, he needs modern hearing aids. With them, he will be able to hear his mother’s voice again – his name, a whisper, laughter, the cheerful noise of children, and the sounds of nature he has never experienced before.

We are raising funds to give Ivanko the chance to hear this world – and to never live in silence again.