They sang on the streets for their children; now Mikhael and Mihok can hear, thanks to Mammootty

Chingam, the first month of the Malayalam New Year, begins on Monday, two siblings from Vandiperiyar in Idukki are beginning the new year by hearing the world around them for the first time. Mikhael and Mihok, both born with hearing impairment, have received a new lease of life through free cochlear implant surgeries under the ‘Kaathodu Kaathoram’ initiative, jointly implemented by actor Mammootty-led Care & Share International Foundation and Rajagiri Hospital, Aluva.

For their parents, Sonu and Bobina, the moment carries a meaning far greater than the arrival of a new year. For years, they had watched their children grow up in a world of silence, while struggling to find a way to afford the treatment that could help them hear.

The family’s journey began when Mikhael, their elder son, was just two. His parents first realised something was wrong when a dog suddenly ran towards a group of children, barking loudly. While the other children immediately ran away, Mikhael remained unresponsive. It was a moment that left his parents deeply worried.

Their first hospital visit, however, brought little clarity. The family was told that the problem was related to his tongue and that it would resolve as he grew older. When there was no improvement, they sought further medical advice at a hospital in Kattappana. Mikhael was fitted with a hearing aid, but it made little difference. Doctors eventually identified a problem with the cochlear cells responsible for hearing.

Then came another difficult realisation. Similar symptoms began appearing in their younger son, Mihok.Doctors advised the family that cochlear implantation at an early age would give the children the best chance of developing their hearing and speech. But the treatment came with a price the family simply could not afford. Sonu, a daily-wage worker, would have had to raise nearly ₹25 lakh to cover the treatment of both children.

The family registered under the government’s cochlear implantation programme and waited, hoping that help would eventually come. During this difficult period, Bobina happened to read about the ‘Kaathodu Kaathoram’ initiative in a newspaper. She immediately contacted the Care & Share representatives and submitted the details of her children’s condition and the family’s financial struggles.

Before that help arrived, the family had even taken to the streets of Cheruthoni, singing in the hope of raising enough money for their sons. It was a painful journey for parents who wanted nothing more than to hear their children speak and respond to the world around them. Recalling those days, Bobina says the incident with the barking dog remains etched in her memory.

“I never left them alone after the incident with the dog. I couldn’t do that because I knew they hadn’t heard me. Though both our children were given hearing aids by NISH to help retain whatever hearing they had, we were told that there was not much that could be done and that only a cochlear implant could help them.
“Through Mammookka, our children can hear today. He has opened a new path to their future, and I cannot thank him enough. What he is doing for children he doesn’t even know is truly commendable. They are Mammootty’s adopted children now," Sonu told Onmanorama.

“I am also deeply grateful to Dr Rajesh and everyone else who has now become a part of our family. We are planning to relocate to Kochi for a year so that the children can continue their speech therapy and follow-up treatment. “For us, this is more than a treatment. It is the beginning of a new life for our children,” she said.

The surgeries were successfully performed at Rajagiri Hospital under the leadership of Dr Rajesh Raju George, Head of the Department of ENT and Head & Neck Surgery.

The  medical team included Dr Sajith Abraham, ENT Surgeon; Dr Joji Antony, Head of the Department of Anaesthesiology; Elgi M Mathew, Implant Coordinator; Abin Lazar, Senior Audiologist; and Sara Paul, Senior Speech Therapist.