There is a chance that Dario has some lasting brain damage from the meningitis; it is hard to know especially at his young age as he is still learning and developing. However, an examination by the paediatrician indicates that any brain damage has been minimal, and were Dario in Switzerland or indeed in any other European country, the implant operation would be done as a matter of course.
The operation and post operation therapy are going to be expensive. Kiko and Carmen have looked into the best way to proceed and it seems to be to do the operation in Santa Cruz; there is no doctor certified to do this operation in Bolivia so one will be flown in from Argentina. With any cochleal implant, accurate calibration is essential in order for it to work most effectively. There is a Hearing Impaired specialist centre in Cochabamba, Centro Avanzen; they will be able to continue Dario’s therapy and to calibrate the implant regularly. We have a detailed breakdown of all the costs involved for both the operation and therapy; if anyone would like further details then please let us know.
Dario needs to have this operation by the end of the year if it is to be properly effective; after a child is 2 years of age it is much harder for them to catch up on development, and it will then be very difficult for him to follow a regular pattern of language acquisition. Preliminary tests
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