Message from Our Executive Director

We, Sylvester and Eunice Umezurike, are the parents and co-founders of the Yagazie Weng Umezurike Foundation for the Deaf.

Our journey began with the birth of our son, Yagazie Weng Umezurike, a former preterm baby born at 25 weeks’ gestation, weighing 795 grams at birth.
The pregnancy was initially managed at the Royal Free Hospital, London, where it became evident that we were facing an extreme case of prematurity.
We were subsequently referred to Queen Charlotte and Chelsea Hospital, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, a specialist center for high risk and extremely premature births.

Yagazie was born exactly one week after our arrival at Queen Charlotte and Chelsea Hospital and was immediately admitted into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
The next three months marked a critical phase in his life.
Due to the immaturity of his vital organs, he was repeatedly resuscitated by dedicated medical professionals who fought tirelessly for his survival.
While the medical team carried out their human responsibilities, we, as parents, prayed fervently for divine intervention.

After three months in the NICU, Yagazie showed significant improvement and was transferred to Whittington Hospital, Magdala Avenue, London Borough of Brent, for lower level care.
He spent an additional one month and four days there.
During this period, doctors discovered multiple subglottic cysts and airway narrowing, leading to referrals to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in the London Borough of Camden.
Yagazie underwent three surgical procedures at GOSH, which successfully corrected the airway condition.

Shortly before his discharge, Yagazie failed his mandatory newborn hearing screening.
He was referred to the Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals (Nuffield Hearing and Speech Centre), University College London Hospital, where he was diagnosed with Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder.

In 2013, one year after his birth, we returned to Nigeria, where we faced new challenges particularly finding appropriate medical care for a child with complex needs.
Zankli Medical Centre, Abuja, was recommended to us.
There, we met Dr. (Mrs.) Afolayan, an experienced pediatrician who continued Yagazie’s care until we later posted to the United States.

Despite our hopes that some complications associated with extreme prematurity would resolve over time, an auditory assessment at NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center confirmed that Yagazie had profound bilateral hearing loss.
Accepting that our son’s life would not follow a “typical” path, we resolved to ensure his life would instead be fulfilling, joyful, and limitless.

Following medical recommendations, Yagazie underwent cochlear implant surgery on October 25, 2012, after several hours of surgery.
This intervention marked a major milestone in his development and communication journey.

Education

Yagazie has attended the following schools:
• Hayat International School, Zone 7, Abuja
• The Lexington School for the Deaf, Queens, New York City
• CAM 48 Polanco, Mexico City

The Yagazie Weng Umezurike Foundation for the Deaf was conceived from our lived experiences as parents navigating deafness, extreme prematurity, and disability across multiple healthcare systems and cultures.

Our mission is to amplify the voices of less privileged deaf children children whose gestures are ignored, whose voices are unheard, and who are often hidden from society due to stigma, discrimination, or lack of parental support.

Many of these children remain locked behind closed doors, denied opportunities for education, inclusion, and dignity. Through the Foundation, we aim to:
• Advocate for the visibility and inclusion of deaf children
• Support families lacking resources and access to care
• Collaborate with individuals, government agencies, NGOs, and professionals
• Work directly with Deaf people, especially children to provide education, medical support, advocacy, and empowerment

The Yagazie Weng Umezurike Foundation exists to ensure that no child is silenced by circumstance, and that every deaf child is given the opportunity to thrive, be seen, and be heard in their own unique way.