Former Australian speedster Brett Lee is a man on a mission. Only, this time, he doesn’t intend to become a batsman’s nightmare.
The former international cricketer has been travelling India for the cause of raising awareness about hearing impairment and the need to screen newborns for the disability.
Since becoming the Global Hearing Ambassador with Cochlear, an implantable hearing solutions company, three years ago, Mr. Lee has met hundreds of cochlear implant recipients across cities including Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Mysuru, Pune, Chandigarh, Kochi, Guwahati, Amritsar and Jaipur. The cause has also taken him to places as far as Australia, Britain, Sri Lanka and Dubai.
“I’ve been having a lot of fun on the road while interacting with several students and implant recipients, especially children. The best part of my role is when I get to witness the switch-ons of the hearing implants. Imagine, a child who’s been implanted and gets to hear a noise for the first time, unaware of where it is coming from. You know that the surgery has been successful and a miracle has occurred. Be it up north in Chandigarh or here in Thiruvananthapuram, that feeling is special. It goes far beyond taking a wicket,” he says.
Good work lauded
Mr. Lee met the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Health Minister K.K. Shylaja on Tuesday as part of his visit to the State. He waxed eloquent about the efforts that were being made by the State government in pushing for Universal Newborn Hearing Screening to be made mandatory. “The way the government has embraced the problem has been outstanding. Almost every government hospital here has been undertaking hearing screening for newborns. I hope the rest of the country go the Kerala way in addressing the problem,” he said.
Mr. Lee is pleased his efforts have begun to attain results.
“People have begun to take notice of the problem. I have been advocating the need for early intervention irrespective of the cost of the technology. A delay in the procedure could cost children a normal life, their right to be in a society where they can interact and the opportunity to go to a normal school. Besides, the cost what the government will have to shoulder to support them at a later stage would be far greater,” Mr. Lee said.
While he has constantly been on the move during his current visit to the country, the Australian icon has been closely following the developments in the cricketing arena.
But, when asked for his prediction for the highly anticipated India-Australia Test series, he was at his diplomatic best. “Cricket will become the eventual winner,” he quipped.
