From Malaysia’s First Paediatric Cochlear Implant User to Thriving Adult: Lee Chye Hwee’s Journey

Cochlear implant user Lee Chye Hwee works a software developer at DKSH, an international market expansion services provider, with 14 years of professional experience. At first glance, she appears no different from any other hearing adult. She owns a car, is paying for her house, and has a career where she finds fulfillment. This seemingly ordinary life reflects what many parents of cochlear implant candidates hope their children will achieve. Let’s dive into her journey!

First Lost Her Hearing at Age 7

Born with normal hearing, Chye Hwee’s life changed dramatically at age seven when a high fever caused significant hearing loss in her right ear. Despite this, she adapted and relied on her left ear—until another incident at age eight. A teacher struck her head, causing total hearing loss in both ears.

Following her diagnosis, her parents were introduced to cochlear implants. However, the RM48,000 (approximately USD 10,700) cost was far beyond their means. Her father worked as a school bus operator, and her mother took on part-time work (also as a school bus operator), and the family had three younger children to support. To the surprise of Chye Hwee and her family, the school’s headmaster, teachers and classmates rallied around the family, showing strong support. Eventually, the donation from an anonymous couple covered the entire surgery cost. Though this took place some years back, Chye Hwee remains deeply grateful for their life-changing kindness.

Life After the Implant

After receiving the implant in her right ear (Chye Hwee is a unilateral CI user), Chye Hwee described her journey as fairly typical. Apart from sitting in the front row to better hear her teachers, she was just like her peers. In 2010, she graduated from Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) with a Bachelor’s Degree (Hons.) Information System Engineering and began her career in software development.

Navigating Social Interactions

Chye Hwee confessed that social interactions in a group setting remains a challenge. But she does have a network of friends with whom she’s comfortable to spend time with during her off-work time. She’s comfortable and happy with where she is today.

Family Support: An Indispensable Element for Success

Reflecting on the key needs by the new generation of cochlear implant users, Chye Hwee highlights the critical role of family support. While today's advanced CI technology offers performance far more superior than the earlier versions, she believes the determining factor of a child's progress lies in the patience and encouragement of their family members.

Her younger sister played an especially supportive role, helping her with speech intonation and gently correcting her when necessary. During family meals, her sister would ensure that she felt included in conversations. These small but meaningful gestures helped shape Chye Hwee into the confident and self-reliant young adult she is today.

She also credits her family for fostering her independence. Her parents treated her just like her hearing siblings, encouraging her to take part-time jobs and choose her own university programme.

A Message for Parents

“Every child’s journey is unique, and no child should be compared to another,” said Chye Hwee. While parents understandably hope for results, she advises them to embrace the process and support their child every step of the way.

Getting Connected to Her Roots as a CI User

Over the past three years, she has become increasingly active in Malaysia’s cochlear implant community, connecting with fellow users and raising awareness. Her advocacy work has included two TV appearances, one of which can be viewed here.

You could find more cochlear implant user stories here.

CI Project collects cochlear implant user stories. I’d like to invite you to join the private Facebook group. You’ll receive an update of each new story (about once a month) and will get to interact with the characters of each story there. I’m also looking for more cochlear implant user stories. I’d appreciate it if you could nominate a cochlear implant user (including yourself) for me to write a story about!