Meet Qahir

Qahir, in the meantime, is exploring the small waiting area and the consultation area. He has already made a friend, and together they wander off not too far from their parents. This little three-year-old is curious and social, but he needs help to express himself verbally.

The audiologist takes them into the consultation area, but they are soon back in the waiting room. Qahir doesn’t want the apparatus in his ear. It’s a quick hearing test and requires the little boy to have a tiny earphone in his ear for at least 30 seconds. The audiologist and Qahir’s parents try to coax him into keeping the speaker in long enough to do the test, but Qahir won’t have any of it. At least we know one thing about Qahir: he knows exactly what he won’t put up with. Although it seems like something we can smile about, Shanaaz is worried. You can see the stress on her face. She wanted an answer today. She wanted to know.

There is another test. It will have to be done at Red Cross. The audiologist quickly sets up the appointment for them. Her husband remains calm, but quiet. Perhaps his wife will speak the fears that he keeps quiet.

Qahir, on the other hand, is a happy boy. With so much love around him, there are no tears, no tantrums, just a peaceful curiosity that already knows self-expression. But it will be good to have the benefit of a language that opens the door to more exploration and fullest development.

We don’t know what Qahir is thinking, feeling or wanting. We don’t know what he wants to tell his cousins as they play, or questions he’d want to ask his teachers when he does go to school. But we know that there are people in this world who want to see this become a reality for Qahir.

Qahir has around 20 cousins, and family is very important to his parents. As they approach the end of Ramadan, they reflect on the significance of family. Their wish for their only son is that he will be able to enjoy a fulfilled life, free to express himself to the best of his ability, and free to make the connections that matter within his world, his community, his family and himself.

With the help of the medical teams at Victoria hospital and Red Cross, Qahir will have a map for his development. With the help of his family, he will have a compass.