The Gift of Sound

Imagine never hearing the voice of someone you love, joining a conversation or experiencing the sounds of everyday life that many of us take for granted. For children and adults living with significant hearing loss, a cochlear implant can open the door to opportunities that once seemed out of reach.

As part of this year's Mandela Day campaign, Good Morning Angels partnered with former Miss South Africa Mia le Roux and the #AboutSound initiative to help fund cochlear implant surgeries for vulnerable state patients. Having received a cochlear implant, herself as a young child, Mia understands first-hand the difference it can make and has become a passionate advocate for improving access to hearing healthcare.

Although the cochlear implant devices had already been secured for patients at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, funding was still needed to cover the cost of the surgeries. Through Good Morning Angels, LottoStar donated R100,000 to Operation Healing Hands to fund one life-changing cochlear implant surgery as part of the initiative.

Together, the generosity of individuals, businesses and organisations helped raise enough funding to provide 25 cochlear implant surgeries, giving more children and adults the opportunity to hear the world around them.