1-year-old child with underdeveloped ears needs surgery, mother calls for donations

The family of a one-year-old child with underdeveloped ears is asking for donations so the toddler could have a surgery.

In a report on "24 Oras," Wednesday, Harvey Francisco's mother, Ronielyn, said that she and her husband are worried about their child's future.

"If he won't be able to hear, he might not be able to speak. How will we communicate with him?" she said in Filipino.

According to the report, the family moved to a street since a doctor told them that a loud environment is better for the child to hear various sounds.

Although they want to have Harvey's condition fixed, the family said that their savings aren't enough because it has also been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

They asked help from the GMA Kapuso Foundation, which brought them to an expert.

According to ENT specialist Dr. Gil Vicente, Harvey has bilateral microtia.

"His outer ear wasn't fully developed. He has aesthetic deformity. At the same time, he may have hearing loss," he said in Filipino.

Vicente added that seeing Harvey respond to sound is a good sign, but needs to be examined more.

"We need to know if he really has good hearing," he said.

Harvey likes music such as nursery rhymes and his family is hoping that there will be people who are willing to let him enjoy this a lot more.

For interested parties, donations can be made through bank transfers, Cebuana Lhuiller, and PayMaya, or vouchers on Shopee and Zalora.

Visit the GMA Kapuso Foundation website for more information.

—Franchesca Viernes/MGP, GMA News