A little boy, whose father stopped at nothing to ensure his son got the medical treatment he so sorely needed, will soon reap the benefits of his father's tenacity.

Four-year-old Pradip Gupta was born with a rare medical condition known as bilateral microtia meaning the child has no ears - an affliction which has rendered him incapable of speaking or hearing.

Reflecting on his son's birth in 2010, Nepalese-native, Bihari Sah Kanu, explained that both he and his wife hoped the child's external ears would develop over time, saying: "We were devastated when we saw him at birth with no ears but we thought that with time things will be fine and he will start speaking."

Upon realising their hopes had little grounding in reality, Pradip's parents began to seek medical assistance, but were dealt a devastating blow when they were forced to acknowledge that their son's treatment would necessitate a sum of money the family simply had no means of earning.
 


Opening up about his financial struggles. Bihari explained: "I went round so many different doctors but they all said the same. It was all about money. Doctors in Nepal were quoting me 13 Lakh (£8,000) for treatment. I’m a poor man; I cannot even imagine what that kind of money looks like."

Realising he must look beyond his native Nepal, Biharai journeyed to India upon hearing there existed a centre which offered free treatment in certain cases. 

Upon making the decision to embark on the 700-mile journey with the help of financial donations, Bihari and Pradip said goodbye to Pradip's mother, with Bihari recalling: "The road was no place for my wife, I knew our journey and time in Delhi was going to be very simple. So we had to say our goodbyes."

Before learning that surgeons at the AIIMS centre in India could help his son, Bihari was dealt yet another devastating blow when he learned his wife had died in an earthquake which struck their native country in his absence.
 


Recalling the heartbreak, Biharai said: "‘I went into shock. I was on my own on the street and I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t tell Pradip, how do I tell him his mother has died?"

Arranging for his wife's brother to organise her funeral on account of his financial situation, Biharai met with doctors who assured the devastated father that they would be able to offer his son an implant which would allow little Pradip to hear for the first time in his life.

Opening up about the meeting, Dr. Rakesh Kumar, said: "I just had to help him. We are very confident that surgery to build a Bonebridge bone conduction implant will help him and along with speech therapy afterwards he should make a full recovery and behave like any other child his age."
 


While Bihari is not expected to pay for the treatment he must pay £3,000 for the implant - a sum of money which he does not possess.

However, with the help of India's Prime Minister National Relief Fund, Biharai will not have to cover the entire cost himself.

Commenting on his time in Delhi, which has seen him beg for money and struggle to find shelter, Bihari says: "I just hope all this will be worth it and my son has a future where he can hear and speak."

We are wishing Bihari and Pradip all the very best for the future.

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