Cailin O’Hern from Richmond Hill, Georgia, Ear Community college scholarship recipient for Fall 2016, Point University

Meet Cailin O’Hern from Richmond Hill, Georgia. Cailin just graduated from the twelfth grade as a home-schooled student. Cailin was born with Microtia and Atresia of her right ear. Cailin says that having Microtia and Atresia was challenging for her over the years as she often felt awkward and self-conscious when asked about her ear. She also found that being in social situations was challenging when she couldn’t hear well because of her hearing loss. However, Cailin has learned to become quite good at lip reading and positioning herself to where her hearing ear is toward the conversation.

Cailin is a fan of classic literature and she is an artist. She has enjoyed being the newspaper-book editor at Landry Academy (an online home-schooling community) and enjoys writing and reading very much.

Cailin is excited to attend Point University this fall in Richmond Hill, Georgia. With the help of a $750 college scholarship that has been awarded to Cailin by the Ear Community Organization, she will be able to achieve her educational goal of furthering her education in literature and the arts. Cailin’s dream is to become an author. She would love to create stories that help young children not only understand and accept their physical differences, but empower them to excel because of their differences.

It was a joy speaking with Cailin and her family when I called to let her know that the Ear Community Organization’s board of directors had voted to award her a college scholarship. What was so special about this phone call is the day that I called to tell Cailin the good news was her graduation day and that just made her day even more special. A special thank you to the Resort2Kindness Organization for helping make Cailin’s scholarship possible.  All of us here at Ear Community are proud of you Cailin and we know you will achieve your goals and dreams. We look forward to reading some of your wonderful stories someday. Congratulations for all of us at the Ear Community Organization!

Melissa Tumblin
Founder and Executive Director
and
Ear Community Board Members
www.EarCommunity.org

Arkin Silutan Lerio, a 10 month old boy from the Philippines who was born with bilateral Microtia and Atresia. Hearing device recipient of two Oticon Medical Ponto Plus sound processors that were donated through the Ear Community Organization on August 15th, 2016.

Meet little Arkin Silutan Lerio, a 10 month old adorable baby boy from Las Pinas City in the Philippines.  Arkin was born with grade III bilateral Microtia and Atresia.  When Arkin was two months old, Arkin’s mom, Jhoan Silutan Hernandez,
took him to an ENT specialist so that he could have an ABR hearing test conducted.  This is when she learned that Arkin had a severe to profound hearing loss in both of his ears.  Jhoan was also informed that Arkin may struggle with speech delays due to his bilateral hearing loss.

At three months of age, Arkin was given the opportunity to try on a bone conduction hearing device for just a few minutes.  During this time, Arkin’s mom, Jhoan, quickly realized how this changed his hearing.  Jhoan says “We got a positive response!…I saw how Arkin smiled, cried, and opened his eyes wide every time the audiologist would speak to him.”  “It was a priceless moment for us and for Arkin!”  She knew from that moment that Arkin needed to hear better with the help of hearing devices.  However, Arkin’s family does not have medical insurance and their income made it unlikely to be able to pay for a bone conduction hearing device out of pocket.  Jhoan struggled with finding answers about Microtia and Atresia.  Many of the medical professionals Jhoan took Arkin to did not the answers to her questions and were not familiar with seeing a child with Microtia and Atresia.  Jhoan did some research online and thankfully found the Ear Community Organization.  After learning more about Microtia and Atresia and discovering how she could help Arkin more with his speech, she discovered that the Ear Community Organization also donates hearing devices and so she applied.

On Monday, August 15th, 2016, Arkin proudly received two newly donated Oticon Medical Ponto Plus hearing devices and steamer from Oticon Medical that were donated through the Ear Community Organization.  Many people helped Arkin along the way in order for him to receive his new hearing devices.  A special thank you to Izovelle “Icee” Piedad (audiologist with Philiear Inc.) for helping donate her time to fit and program Arkin’s new Ponto Plus hearing devices!  Icee waited patiently for Arkin’s hearing devices to make it through customs and was delighted to receive them for Arkin’s appointment a week ago.  Thank you also to Gabe Murphy of Idaho (USA), who wanted to give back to the Microtia and Atresia community and help a child hear better.  Gabe organized a 5k race fund raiser event in Preston, Idaho for his senior class project.  Some of the funds that were raised went toward paying for the shipping of Arkin’s hearing device.  Gabe is excited to have helped Arkin because Gabe was also born with bilateral Microtia and Atresia.  Thank you for helping Arkin, Gabe….and thank you for your support to the Ear Community Organization!

Jhoan says that Arkin is already hearing better and that he is mimicking sounds.  She says that Arkin is already making new sounds and babbling more!  Arkin also has a new friend, his monkey that he has decided to call “Otty” that came from Oticon Medical with his gift of hearing.  Arkin is very lucky to have such an amazing mommy like Jhoan.  Jhoan stayed on top of the tracking for Arkin’s hearing devices updated me (Melissa Tumblin) every step of the way.  She even had a beautiful cake made to help celebrate Arkin’s special day with Icee donating her time to help fit Arkin’s hearing devices.  Love the cake Jhoan and thank you!  What a sweet touch to a sweet day!

A very special thank you to Alan Raffauf, Vice President of Marketing for Oticon Medical US, for choosing to donate two new Oticon Medical Ponto Plus hearing devices w/streamer to Ear Community so that it could be donated to Arkin to help her hear better during the critical years of development.   As a tribute to Curt Gorman, Oticon Medical’s past president, who passed away last August, may Arkin thrive in the hearing world with his new hearing devices and never miss a beat as he continues to grow.  Curt Gorman had a passion for helping children hear better as he was a pioneer in the hearing device industry, especially for bone anchored hearing devices.   Many who loved and knew Curt have made donations to also help children hear better through the Ear Community Organization.  Thank you for everyone’s support and for helping Ear Community continue with it’s mission of helping individuals with Microtia and Atresia. Oticon Medical believes in helping individuals with hearing loss so that they can live a better quality of life. Oticon Medical is a well respected international hearing device manufacturer that is a part of the “William Demant Group [which has] 100-plus years of experience in audiology and sound processing and established manufacturing and logistics infrastructure.”

Arkin, we are all so very proud of you and we hope you thrive everyday and get the most out of life, especially all of the sounds that come with it!  We hope you keep us updated as you grow older!  Congratulations on hearing your best Arkin.  Here are some cute pictures of Arkin on his special day!

We are so proud of you!
Melissa Tumblin
Founder of the Ear Community Organization
and
Ear Community Board members
www.EarCommunity.org

Jessica Gonzalez, Ear Community college scholarship recipient. We wish you well at University of Texas El Paso (Fall 2016).

Meet Jessica Gonzalez from El Paso, Texas. Jessica is 28 years old and was born with Microtia and Atresia of her right ear. Jessica never asked why she couldn’t hear from her right ear while she was growing up or why she was born this way until recently when a couple of her college professors encouraged her to do some research on Microtia and Atresia. This is when Jessica found the Ear Community Organization and quickly discovered more about her Microtia and Atresia.

Jessica recently became a mother for the first time, giving birth to a healthy baby girl. As a single mother, Jessica says that graduating with her Bachelors Degree and pursuing a career in teaching is no longer just a goal for herself, but also for her daughter so she can no longer have to worry about financial struggles.

For the fall semester of 2016, Jessica will be awarded a $750 college scholarship from the Ear Community Organization to help her pursue her dream as a teacher.  Jessica transferred from El Paso Community College to the University of Texas at El Paso this past Spring. She has been there for two semesters (Spring and Summer.) She is proud to have made the Dean’s List for Spring 2016.  She recently found out that due to her 4.0 for Summer 2016 with four classes, she will be on the Dean’s List again. Jessica hopes to earn her Bachelors Degree in teaching from the University of Texas El Paso and she hopes to graduate in 2018 as she has already completed some of her undergraduate work.

A very special thank you to the Mariner Foundation and the National Christian Foundation for contributing toward Jessica’s scholarship and for helping be a part of Jessica’s dream in making it a reality.

Congratulations Jessica! We are so proud of you and we are so happy that you found the Ear Community Organization! Good luck to you in becoming a teacher….we know you will make an amazing teacher someday!

Melissa Tumblin
Founder and Executive Director
the Ear Community Organization
www.EarCommunity.org

Emilia Drago, 1.5 years old born with Microtia and Atresia of her right ear from Geismar, Louisiana wearing her newly donated Oticon Medical Ponto Plus from the Ear Community Organization, June 17th, 2016

Meet Emilia Drago from Geismar, Louisiana.  Emilia is a beautiful one and a half year old little girl who was born with Microtia and Atresia of her right ear and mild hemifacial microsomia.  When Emilia was born, doctors did not know what to tell her parents regarding her being born with Microtia and Atresia.  Doctors did tell Emilia’s parents, Cody and Amanda, that her microtic ear should unfold after being squished in the womb, which was not the case.

Over the first year of Emilia’s life, Emilia’s parents took her to a number of medical specialists to see how they could help Emilia thrive and get answers.  Emilia’s parents did eventually discover that Emilia could not hear well through the results from her ABR.  Emilia has a moderate to severe hearing loss and Emilia’s mother, Amanda, noticed that Emilia startles easy when she hears sounds and then acts frightened while she looks around for the sounds as she does not seem to know where they are coming from.  After discovering that Emilia has hearing loss, Amanda was advised about how a bone anchored hearing device could help Emilia hear better.  Amanda was also advised to enroll Emilia into speech therapy when she begins school and to help with sign.

After Emilia was given the opportunity to trial an Oticon Medical BAHS on a softband at her audiologist’s office, Amanda and Cody Drago “had an emotional day watching [their] daughter’s sense of direction improve instantly.  [They] were astounded by Emilia’s ability to find the source of sounds like never before.  They were instantly sold on the idea of a hearing device.”  Unfortunately, the idea of obtaining a hearing device for little Emilia fell apart when the family was advised by Emilia’s audiologist that anyone without Medicaid should order via a third party company called Sunmed Medical.  After quickly placing their order for a BAHS for Emilia, Amanda and Cody were denied over the phone as Sunmed did not work with Aetna.  This left the family without insurance coverage for Emilia’s BAHS and not enough money to be able to purchase a hearing device out of pocket.  Fortunately they found the Ear Community Organization, a nonprofit organization that helps children and adults obtain new hearing devices who were born with Microtia and Atresia.

On June 17th, 2016, Emilia was fitted with her new Oticon Medical Ponto Plus BAHS on a soft band head band with streaming device at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana by Dr. Dori Cormier.  Emilia’s mom, Amanda, explains that since getting home from Emilia’s audiology appointment, she has noticed how Emilia is looking around more at the sounds she hears and how Emilia doesn’t seem to mind her new Ponto Plus and in fact, is wearing it often throughout the days.  Amanda also explained that she is not overwhelmed by all the information provided on how the Ponto Plus works and is very excited how it will help Emilia hear better, especially as she gets older and begins school.  The Drago family is very grateful to the Ear Community Organization and for all of the support the family has received from Ear Community’s amazing group of microtia families on its online support group, the Microtia and Atresia Support Group on Facebook.

A very special thank you to Alan Raffauf, Vice President of Marketing for Oticon Medical US, for choosing to donate the new Oticon Medical Ponto Plus hearing device w/streamer to Ear Community so that it could be donated to Emilia to help her hear better during the critical years of development.   As a tribute to Curt Gorman, Oticon Medical’s past president, who passed away last August, may Emilia thrive in the hearing world with her new hearing device and never miss a beat as she continues to grow.  Curt Gorman had a passion for helping children hear better as he was a pioneer in the hearing device industry, especially for bone anchored hearing devices.   Thank you for everyone’s support and for helping Ear Community continue with its mission of helping individuals with Microtia and Atresia.Oticon Medical believes in helping individuals with hearing loss so that they can live a better quality of life. Oticon Medical is a well respected international hearing device manufacturer that is a part of the “William Demant Group [which has] 100-plus years of experience in audiology and sound processing and established manufacturing and logistics infrastructure.”

Congratulations to hearing so much better now Emilia!  All of us here at Ear Community are excited for you to discover the sounds of life and music and laughter as you grow!

Thank you!
Melissa Tumblin (Ear Community Founder)
and
Ear Community Board Members
www.EarCommunity.org