Australian cricketer Brett Lee Monday said that he dreams of Kerala becoming the first state in India to make Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) mandatory.
“UNHS is mandatory in Australia. In Kerala, we are getting to that level and it has to be extended to the private sector,” he said.
The former international fast bowler, the Global Hearing Ambassador of hearing aid manufacturer Cochlear, was the chief guest at an event organised to create awareness on the need to conduct hearing screening on newborns.
On an emotional note, Lee also recalled the time when his five-year-old son suffered a traumatic injury as a result of landing head first on the floor, leading to hearing loss.
“He suffered hearing loss. I was mortified and upset. Those days he had to move from the back row of the class to the front. Luckily for him, his nerve became all right after some time,” he recalled, adding the experience made him associate with an initiative that changes the lives of many children.
“Thanks to the rising awareness and education in India, the people are gradually aware of the social stigma that this disability generates. We want to ensure that every single child born in Kerala will have screening done for hearing,” Lee said.
Bret Lee is in India to promote his film “UnIndian”. The former Australian pacer also said that he still loves cricket but getting into acting is the second innings of his life.
“I want people to enjoy the film. It’s a romantic comedy and there is humuor and lot of passion. This film is about a cross cultural relationship. After watching it, lot of people have come and said that’s what we are going through,” he added.
Watch the film’s trailer at https://youtu.be/OiWW56n8yPU