Many children with hearing impairment are unable to receive treatment due to financial constraints, resulting in a lifetime spent in silence. In response to this issue, members of the Selangor royal family have embarked on a fundraising effort to support these children from needy families. They have taken on the challenge of scaling Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest single free-standing mountain in the world, reaching a height of 5,895m above sea level. Led by Selangor Raja Muda Tengku Amir Shah Sultan Sharafuddin, the royal team includes his brother-in-law Datuk Aubry Rahim Mennesson, cousins Datuk Syed Haizam Hishamuddin Putra Jamalullail and Tengku Ezrique Ezzuddean Tengku Ardy Esfandiari, along with their friend Keong Yeen Yeoh.
The expedition began on August 31 and is expected to be completed by September 11. The funds collected from this endeavor will be used to establish a speech and hearing centre at Raja Tun Uda Library in Klang. This center aims to assist families with hearing-impaired children and empower individuals with hearing impairments. Syed Haizam, one of the members of the royal team, expressed concern over the financial difficulties faced by families in need of treatment for their hearing-impaired children. He highlighted the significant cost burden experienced by many in Malaysia.
Reflecting on his personal experience, Syed Haizam shared that his daughter was diagnosed with hearing impairment at the age of three and underwent cochlear implant surgery at four. This personal journey led him to recognize the barriers posed by the expenses associated with treatment. The speech and hearing centre will provide free hearing tests and subsidize follow-up treatments for those in need. The idea to climb Mount Kilimanjaro was inspired by the team’s previous adventure in 2012, scaling Mount Kinabalu with 23 disabled children from Cheshire Home.
To show support for this cause, interested individuals can contribute by making bank transfers to the Affin Islamic Bank account (No: 1059 9003 9549) of Yayasan Perpustakaan Raja Tun Uda (Swift Code: AIBBMYKL).
Credit: The Star : News Feed
