Break the silence: how the USA helped restore hearing to a baby from Russia who was born without ears

The boy from Chita, born without ears, was raised by his mother. The day before departure for the long-awaited operation, which Cyril was supposed to undergo in California, she died. But the deaf boy heard the world and helped him break the silence, says "Voice of America".

Photo: video frame YouTube / Voice of America

To hear this world, four-year-old Kirill had to fly across the ocean - from Chita to Los Angeles. Californian doctors volunteered to help a baby born without ears or ear canals.

“One in 9000 children is born with this condition,” explains Joseph Roberson, a physician at the California Hearing Institute. - They usually don't have one ear. And only 10% of children with such a pathology have both sides affected, as in the situation with Kirill.”

Atresia and microtia on both sides: Cyril was born with an anomaly. For the boy's mother, this was a real shock. Throughout the pregnancy, the doctors told Olga that there were no pathologies. Despite postpartum depression, the woman did not give up and did her best to break the silence in which her son lived: she met with American doctors, organized marathons. The residents of Chita, where the family comes from, helped as best they could.

Photo: video frame YouTube / Voice of America

“Taking into account the fact that the standard of living there is quite low, we collected a very large amount,” says Nikita Zherebtsov, Kirill’s brother. “About 5 million 800 thousand, that’s 85 thousand dollars.”

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When the required amount was collected, the family bought tickets to California for the long-awaited operation. But the day before the flight, the boy's mother died. Then 24-year-old Nikita, Cyril's older brother, took matters into his own hands.

“It’s actually very difficult to get a visa in our country,” he says. “So I decided that if I don’t do it now, no one will.” Simply missing out and losing what my mother worked towards for four years would be wrong to her memory. I decided that only I had to do this.”

Photo: video frame YouTube / Voice of America

So they ended up in California.

“With all these events, my dreams have somehow been erased and for the last three months I have not dreamed of anything,” Nikita admits. - There is only a specific goal and that’s it. I need to operate on my brother so that he can be a full-fledged person. I just know how cruel kids are and how they treat someone who doesn't look like them."

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Before the operation, Kirill could hear at least something thanks to sensors sending signals through the bones of the skull. After that, he won’t need sensors.

“The surgery performed on these patients provides both form and function to the ear,” explains Dr. Roberson. “An external ear is created that will look like a normal one, and we will make an ear canal by punching the bone, install an eardrum and restore Kirill’s hearing. And this will greatly affect his life.”

Similar operations are carried out in Russia. But the Hearing Institute in California undertakes to operate on the most severe cases, such as Kirill’s.

Photo: video frame YouTube / Voice of America

Together, the operation was successful.

“I was surprised that people were so responsive,” says Nikita. “Complete strangers are so helpful, they were so welcoming, they helped with everything.” There are beautiful places everywhere, but the people are probably what surprised me the most.”

Kirill is currently undergoing a rehabilitation period. The kid, who was helped by the whole world - both Chita and Californians - says that he dreams of doing the same.

“I want to be a rescuer,” says the boy.

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