Happy Dragon's generosity is music to boy's ears

From: Southern Highland News, Australia - Aug 22, 2003

The family of a Berrima toddler who received a life-changing Cochlear implant has thanked the St George Foundation for paying for the device.
The Newbury family came to the Bowral branch of St George Bank to be on hand for the presentation of a $20,000 cheque to the Sydney Cochlear Implant Centre (SCIC).
SCIC general manager Chris Wren said the donation represented the cost of the implant itself, but the whole program with its intensive weekly follow-up was more like $60,000 worth.
Isaac Newbury received an implant four months ago, at the age of two-and-a-half, and his parents Peter and Elizabeth said the change has already been remarkable.
"He's responding to noises, he can hear us calling him from another room, but his vocabulary has only improved a little so far," Mr Newbury said.
"Some people don't understand he's only starting hearing, they expect it will be instantaneous."
The implant electronically reproduces the sounds the ear would pick up, sending impulses to the brain so it can "hear".
It is turned on gradually so as not to overwhelm a new recipient with a world of sound.
"The aim is to have him pretty much spot on by the time he gets to Kindy," Mr Wren said.

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