Support 11yo surfer ‘Boy Franklin Laowo’s’ path to hearing

My name is Robbie Goodwin and I write to you today from Nias, Indonesia, where a local kid named Boy Franklin Laowe has just returned home from a trip to Medan, where he acquired custom-made hearing aids that allow him to hear for the first time in his life. Being a bright and strong spirit, Boy is already a staple in the Nias surf community at eleven years old despite only hearing for the first time a couple days ago.

Far behind the Western world in accommodating youth with disabilities, there has been no education available to Boy, nor does there even exist a sign language here that allows him to effectively communicate. The outlet through which Boy has managed to integrate himself into a community with is surfing. His passion for the ocean and surfing has spoken for him up until now. I am confident that he will be one of Indonesia's barrel lords in the future, and he will certainly be a pride of Nias.

He is a very intelligent kid, and the frustration that being held back by his situation causes him is clear, and quite disheartening. Since sufficient funds to provide him with the ability to hear were finally raised, he now has a chance to receive an education, and learn how to speak.

For this to happen, however, more funds will have to be raised so that Boy can return to Medan for checkups and hearing device maintenance. He will also need speech therapy, as forming the sounds required for speech is a completely foreign concept to him.

Something like this may seem relatively insignificant in the Western world, but supporting his cause with even small donations will likely open up an entire world of opportunities for this smart and kind kid, who shares our love for surfing.