A six-year-old Chinese boy whose eyes were gouged out has been receiving implants at a hospital in southern China from a Hong Kong surgeon who volunteered his services after learning about the brutal attack.

The implants are a precursor to fitting Guo Bin – known as Bin Bin – with prosthetic eyes that will look and move more like normal eyes, but which do not restore vision. Doctors at the C-MER (Shenzhen) Dennis Lam eye hospital also plan to fit Bin Bin with navigation sensors that would allow the boy to get around on his own in familiar places.

"As his parents, we are full of hope," said the boy's father, Guo Zhiping. "We have yet to tell him that his vision would be lost forever."

A personal assistant to Dr Dennis Lam Shun-Chiu said the surgery to fit the boy with orbital implants started on Tuesday afternoon at the private hospital. If the operation is successful, the doctors will fit the boy with cosmetic eye shells, Inggie Ho said.

Many questions surrounding the attack on 24 August remain unanswered.

Police in the boy's home province of Shanxi say they suspect the boy's aunt gouged out his eyes. But they have not identified a motive and the woman has since killed herself. The boy's relatives have said they do not believe she could have carried out the attack.

Guo said the family did not think the police report was credible, because the aunt, who was working in a local factory, would not have had time to commit the crime.

News reports have pointed to family disputes, but Guo said on Tuesday that there has been no argument between him and his brother, or the boy's uncle.

Guo said Bin Bin and the family arrived in Shenzhen on Sunday and would stay as long as necessary.

The flight to Shenzhen excited the little boy, Guo said. "He had never travelled in a plane before."