WHEN Douphia Dixon gave birth to her second child in May 2014, her world turned upside down after her doctors revealed that he was born without his outer ear and has eardrum damage, which would impact his ability to speak and hear clearly.

Further tests also showed that her son has Goldenhar syndrome, a rare birth defect that affects the development of the face, ears, eyes, and spine. He also has an enlarged heart and scoliosis, which causes his spine to have an irregular curve.

The single mother, in a plea to Jamaicans, is seeking support to cover the cost of a life-changing surgery that should give her now 10-year-old son, Javail Pennant, the chance to hear again, and assistance to cover his other medical bills.

Dixon shared that her son has been bullied and discriminated against because of his disability, and it breaks her heart to witness him endure such torture for something over which he has no control.

“It’s very much hard because people see him and look at him a way, like them a say, ‘Is wah cause that?’ or ‘Wah happen to him?’ It’s just very challenging.

“He goes to a school where other deaf kids are, but he’s the only person at that school with that condition [no outer ear], so it’s very hard for him,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

“He will sometimes feel sad about it because kids at school will sometimes mock him. I feel a way within myself, but there is nothing I can do about it — that’s how he was born,” she said, fighting back tears.

Dixon shared that her son is enrolled at Danny Williams School for the Deaf in St Andrew, where he learns sign language and performs well in school. However, despite her attempts to make his life as normal as possible, it is evident that this disability has dampened her son’s spirits.

“By looking at him, you can see sometimes that he is sad. He knows sign language, so sometimes he might go to school and express his feelings to the teacher or some of his friends at school, and they would let me know,” she shared, adding that it breaks her heart that he has to face such hurt from even people within their community.

Noting that Javail is the only one of her four children with a disability and health complications, Dixon said his diagnosis has not only left her sad and heartbroken, but also uncertain about how to approach the situation.

“Is the first [time] me a go through something like this, so I wouldn’t know what to say or how to say it,” she told the Sunday Observer as she struggled to put her feelings into words.

However, there is still hope.

Dixon shared that doctors have informed her that they can perform surgery to allow him to wear a hearing aid and receive prosthetic ears, giving him the ability to hear properly and have a formed outer ear.

“He can hear a little bit, but not clearly. I did a hearing test for him and they said something wrong with his eardrum on the inside,” she explained.

“Sometimes the wax in [his] ears that would want to come out, that can’t come out for him so he has to live on antibiotics because he will get infections in his ears.

“The doctor said it’s a 50/50 chance it [the surgery] would work,” said the 36-year-old, optimistic that the odds will work in her son’s favour.

Her son would undergo bone conduction surgery, a procedure in which a bone-anchored hearing aid is implanted to assist with hearing.

While the surgery has the potential to change his life, Dixon said that she cannot afford the US$10,000 to US$17,000 bill.

She said she is a bartender who works long and late hours to put food on the table, and is struggling to make ends meet.

“Sometimes I barely can find food for [my kids] to eat. I can barely pay my bills. I am just reaching out for help. People always tell me to ask for help, but I always tell myself that I don’t see any way I can get help. People will say I can do a GoFundMe to get help, to see if him can do the surgery overseas to make him hear normally, but me nuh know much about that,” said Dixon.

Unsure of where to go, but determined to get her son some help, the mother turned to the media, hopeful that the Sunday Observer might be able to shine a light on her plight and get her some assistance.

“It would be a great pleasure to me to see that he can hear and have his ears and everything is alright,” said Dixon.

“If anybody out there can assist him, I would appreciate it,” added the single mother.

She said, too, that funds donated would also help to cover other medical bills for his other conditions.

“He has a lot of complications and was admitted to the Bustamante Hospital [for Children]. He has a heart problem and he has scoliosis… It’s very much challenging, so I’m just seeking help. He’s a nice little boy to get along with. He’s very smart and him have potential,” the mother said.

In the midst of it all, Dixon said her faith is strong and she is confident that “God knows best”.

“It’s just me alone and God. It rough. The journey nuh easy. It has been 10 years, but I still nah give up. We have to fight the fight,” said Dixon.

“It would fill me with joy if people help us. I just look forward to him hopefully having a normal life,” she added.

Anyone willing to assist Dixon and her son can contact her at dixondouphia55@gmail.com.