With sensorineural hearing loss, sound waves make their way efficiently through the outer and middle ear – just as they do in normal hearing – but then become too soft to detect or too distorted to recognise easily, as a result of damage to the inner ear.

Unlike hearing aids, cochlear implants bypass damaged parts of the inner ear to stimulate the hearing nerve, not with sound waves or vibration, but with precise electrical signals.

Cochlear implant recipients who still benefit from hearing aids may be able to benefit from hybrid hearing – a unique combination of cochlear implant and acoustic hearing, and this is what model and entrepreneur from Ghana, Afi Antonio is doing with her “Afi Antonio Foundation” to help little Chogtaa regain her happiness at a tender age.

Rebecca Chogtaa Dumeh, the blue-eyed toddler cum model – has a rare genetic disorder called Waardenburg syndrome. She has since been modeling to help raise funds for surgery to treat her hearing loss associated with the defect.After organizing the first autism talent show in the capital, the Afi Antonio Foundation is hoping to further raise more funds to support Chogtaa.

“Chogtaa is doing fine after surgery as you can see… Her bandages will be off on Monday and speech therapy begins… This is not to say she can hear right away. The device will be switched on, on the 15th of March God willing for her to hear sound for the first time I promise to post her reaction when that happens in March,” a statement on her social pages reads.

From the ice-cream craving-photos monitored by netbuzzafrica.com, Chogtaa seems to be doing pretty well but there’s to be done as the foundation still needs $23,000 to complete the hearing process to help little Chogtaa’s hearing according to a latest post by the founder Mrs Philomena Antonio-Addo. Support them with your donation via mobile money number +233246827858.