A Gift of Hearing: How Humanitarian Hearts Opened John Raven Sernat’s World in a Single Moment

In a small public school in Bailen, Cavite, a life-changing moment unfolded—quiet, gentle, yet powerful enough to reshape the future of a young boy. Ten-year-old John Raven Sernat, soft-spoken, bright, and full of promise, had spent most of his childhood behind an unseen wall of silence.

Born hearing impaired, John Raven learned to understand the world not through sound, but through what he could see—reading lips, observing gestures, sensing vibrations, and doing his best to interpret a world he could not fully hear. His mind was sharp, curious, and capable. But without hearing, life often felt incomplete—like a story waiting for its missing voice.

At school, he was placed in the special education class—not due to any difficulty in learning, but because he could not hear well enough to follow regular lessons. His teachers recognized his potential. His parents held onto hope, praying for the day their son would finally hear them clearly.

That day came—through the humanitarian concern, loving compassion, and deep commitment to service of the Rotary Club of Makati Circle of Friends, and the generosity of their sponsor, STARKEY.  The event took place last Oct 11 during the Empowered Health Wellness Caravan Pasay Edition spearheaded by Rotary Club of Makati F. Zobel and Rotary Club of Makati Gems and Rotary Club of Makati Circle of Friends as one of the co-hosts.

When the Rotary Club of Makati Circle of Friends learned about John Raven’s situation, they were moved with genuine care. Serving the disadvantaged, especially children, lies at the very heart of their mission. With compassion and urgency, they took action. Through their partnership with STARKEY , who donated the hearing aids, they arranged for John Raven to undergo a proper fitting. 

What they brought him was far more than equipment. It was a doorway to a future filled with possibility. A pair of tiny hearing aids—small enough to rest in the palm of a hand, yet powerful enough to change a child’s entire world.

As the hearing aids were placed on his ears, the room fell silent in anticipation. Slowly, John Raven’s eyes grew wide with wonder. His breath caught. He looked around, startled by the sudden presence of sound—footsteps, voices, his teacher softly calling his name. And then, the moment that would forever stay with him:

“Raven… anak…”

His mother’s voice—clear, trembling, full of love.

He turned to her, eyes shining with emotion. She burst into tears, hands covering her mouth as her son heard her voice clearly for the first time. His father, overwhelmed, quietly wiped tears from his eyes. After years of silence, their son could finally hear them.

His teachers, who had always believed in him, were deeply moved. They knew John Raven was never mentally handicapped. He had always been intelligent, observant, and capable—he simply lacked the ability to hear. Now, thanks to the Rotary Club of Makati Circle of Friends and STARKEY he would finally join the mainstream classroom, ready to learn alongside other students.

“This boy is not mentally handicapped,” one teacher said through tears. “He is very bright. He just needed to hear. And now he can.”

Because of the Rotary Club of Makati Circle of Friends, with their enduring commitment to humanitarian service, and because of STARKEY, whose generosity made this miracle possible, John Raven now steps into a world alive with sound. He can participate in lessons, engage with classmates, laugh at jokes he can finally hear—and express himself fully, confidently, and joyfully.

For John Raven, these hearing aids are the bridge to a brighter and more hopeful future.For his parents, they are the fulfillment of a long-awaited prayer.For his teachers, they are a testament to the potential they always knew he had.

And for the community, this moment is a shining example of what true humanitarian gestures can achieve. When compassion is matched with action, lives change in ways that touch generations.

At the heart of this story stands the Rotary Club of Makati Circle of Friends, whose love for disadvantaged children and unwavering humanitarian spirit made the impossible possible—and STARKEY, whose donation turned silence into sound for a little boy who simply needed the chance to hear.

Together, they did more than give John Raven the gift of hearing.They gave him hope, confidence, opportunity—and a world that finally speaks to him.