Boy's Cochlear Implant Stolen at School, Causing 38 Days of Silence

In a troubling incident, a deaf middle school student in Jiujiang, Jiangxi had his cochlear implant external device stolen from his dorm room on the morning of September 11th. The boy, who was born with hearing impairment, had the 70,000 yuan device implanted at age 4 thanks to the tireless efforts and sacrifices of his single mother.

The theft occurred in a short 7-minute window between 6:01am when the boy removed the device to charge it before washing up, and 6:08am when he returned to find it missing. He immediately informed his teachers, but shockingly, the school waited 5 hours before contacting his mother about the situation.

For 38 agonizing days, the boy was forced to live in a world devoid of sound, unable to attend classes or communicate normally. His academics suffered and he became depressed and withdrawn. His mother was devastated, as the family had already exhausted all their resources on his surgery and original device and could not afford a replacement.

After the boy’s mother made multiple emotional video appeals describing their plight, the school finally agreed on October 21st to cover 70% of the costs of a new cochlear implant external device. While questions remain about the lackadaisical initial response from the school and why it took so long to resolve, the boy can at least now hopefully regain his hearing and rejoin his normal life and studies.

This case highlights the immense challenges faced by hearing impaired individuals and their families, as well as the need for schools to take such disabilities seriously and respond with urgency to ensure student wellbeing. No child should have to endure a month of silence and despair due to theft or bureaucratic foot-dragging. Hopefully the perpetrator can be identified and held accountable, and the boy can put this traumatic chapter behind him thanks to his mother’s tireless advocacy. Her love and sacrifices are the foundation on which he will rebuild his life.