Hi Everyone!

This is the latest article about Ear Community that was published in the Broomfield Enterprise this Sunday Morning, November 25, 2012, during Thanksgiving weekend.  I know success does not happen over night, but little by little I hope to find the funding to help Ear Community grow the way that I would like it to.  Each year, I will hope to be able to help even more families and individuals around the world who were born with Microtia and Atresia.

Thanks so much for supporting me in my efforts and my passion to help the Microtia and Atresia community.

Melissa Tumblin – Founder of Ear Community and the Microtia and Atresia Support Group on Facebook

http://www.broomfieldenterprise.com/ci_22054843

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Broomfield woman aims to expand Ear Community’s reach with nonprofit status

EAR COMMUNITY GROWING STRONG: Melissa Tumblin, flanked by daughters Ally , 3, right, and Hailey, 5, visits the Ear Community Website at their Broomfield home on Friday. Melissa Tumblin started Ear Community, a support organization for families dealing with Microtia and Atresia, after Ally was born with an underdeveloped right ear and ear canal. She recently received nonprofit status for the organization thanks to help from the Broomfield Community Foundation. ( DAVID R JENNINGS )

Three years ago, Melissa Tumblin and her husband had never heard of Microtia and Atresia, the conditions that left their newborn daughter, Ally, with an underdeveloped right ear and ear canal.Today, Broomfield resident Melissa Tumblin has answers. Lots of them. Enough answers to lead the Ear Community, an international support group and information clearinghouse that provides links to research, explains treatment options and provides a forum for families to ask questions and connect.

Ear Community recently hit a significant milestone when it gained nonprofit status with the help of the Broomfield Community Foundation. Ear Community is allowed to act as a 501c3 nonprofit organization under the temporary umbrella of the Broomfield Community Foundation until Ear Community officially gets federal tax ID number.

“I’m so grateful for their help,” said Tumblin, who has been able to get legal and tax guidance from the Foundation in addition to nonprofit status.

Nonprofit status is critical to help raise money for Ear Community’s ongoing education campaigns and future scholarships for families facing huge medical bills. It can take a year or more for organizations to gain nonprofit status, which is why the Broomfield Community Foundation stepped in to help as Tumblin waits for paperwork to be approved.

Karen Smith, the Foundation’s executive director, said the board of directors heard about Tumblin’s work with Ear Community and knew her work deserved support.

“They were impressed with her mission and passion,” she said. “It’s not just about what she wants to do, but what she has already accomplished on her own.”

The past year has been busy for Tumblin, who travels extensively to raise awareness and connect people affected by Microtia and Atresia. The condition can cause deafness or hearing loss, and some people who have the condition have other birth defects that affect the bones in their face.

Tumblin hopes her work with Ear Community can bring her 3-year-old daughter, Ally, closer to a world more rich with sound.

Ally wears a hearing aid on a decorated headband, and also uses a radio hearing device while in school in order to better hear her teacher. She also follows the guidance of her older sister, Hailey.

Tumblin said Ally is finally getting old enough to understand that she hears things differently than other children. She calls her functioning ear her “open ear” and her underdeveloped ear her “closed ear” or “little ear.”

While Tumblin tucked Ally into bed one night, Ally asked her mother a question.

“She asked me to open her other ear,” she said.

Tumblin, who speaks at major industry and physicians’ conferences, said raising her daughter put her in a unique position to help families.

“I can speak from my heart and my experiences,” she said.

Tumblin works with surgeons and industry professionals to stay up to date on technology and treatments, often calling surgeons directly to ask for answers to parents’ questions. She said she is constantly talking with parents who are worried, unsure or confused about their children’s options for surgery or treatment.

In August, she spoke at a New Jersey medical conference sponsored by Oticon Medical, a major hearing aid manufacturer. Oticon, along with other hearing aid and medical device companies, helps sponsor Tumblin’s nationwide summer picnics, which are another key piece of Ear Community’s outreach.

The picnics “help to not only bring Microtia and Atresia families together so that they are not alone and can share experiences, but these picnics help educate them on all of their options where they are often all not brought up or mentioned in doctor appointments,” she said.

At the picnics, parents get to meet plastic surgeons, audiologists and prosthetic experts face-to-face. Children get to meet others like them, and even try out different hearing aids on the market.

“It’s amazing to see a child’s face when they start to hear out of both ears for the first time. Some of them cry,” she said. “It’s so moving.”

This year’s summer picnics, which drew about 1,000 people, met in seven locations from Broomfield to Toronto to Yonkers, N.Y., to Webster, Texas.

Though picnic season is far away, Tumblin is already planning the next round of picnics for meet-ups in Spain, the United Kingdom and at home in the United States.

Tumblin also is hoping to grow her organization through donations. Money raised will help pay for future outreach events, scholarships for children with Microtia and Atresia, and donations to cover travel costs for families who need to travel for surgery.

Tumblin hopes to see the organization grow its reach in order to share information and resources, as well as heartfelt support.

“The entire organization is made up of individuals who hold Microtia and Atresia near and dear to their hearts, all from personal experience,” she said.

Hello Everyone,

Many of us choose to donate to charities each and every year because they have either helped us or because we believe in their cause. Well, now we have Ear Community, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that directly helps the Microtia and Atresia community. I am one mom who is really trying to help everyone and bring everyone together and educate everyone on their options and about Microtia and Atresia and I just can not do this without your help. Please consider Ear Community as one of the charities you give to every year, especially a charity that has helped you and your family directly. I wish I had what we have now when my Ally was born. I just don’t want anyone else to feel alone or lost and not know that they can seek multiple medical opinions and to know what their options are so they can make the best decisions for themselves and/or their child. Please consider making a donation to Ear Community…even $5 (= a cup of coffee) can help me help others. Before I founded Ear Community and became a nonprofit I was unable to accept money that can help me get hearing aids and scholarship money for both kids and adults. I was also unable to ask for help with funding to help some families with travel expenses for when planning for surgery. Now, I can do this, but I need funding to achieve Ear Community’s goals. If you would like to donate, please click on this link: https://earcommunity.org/donate/

Hi Everyone! Below are the details for our 3rd Annual Secret Santa Gift Exchange… This is an international gift exchange, so you may be assigned an international friend. 🙂 The minimum to spend on a gift is $20 (USD). Please take into consideration that the cost of shipping a package to another country may cost anywhere from $8 to $30 in addition to your cost of your gift. Also, once you have been assigned your exchange partner, please ship your gift as soon as you can so your exchange partner receives it in time for Christmas. If shipping a gift to another country, it may be delayed by a a week to three weeks in customs. Try and send it the cheapest way and ask your postal service for tips and help on how to do this.

Below is the information that will be needed from those of you who wish to participate this year:

DEADLINE is November 16, 2012 for this information.

I am pleased to announce that as of August 16, 2012, Ear Community became a non profit organization.  Ear Community will continue to help individuals, families, and medical professionals around the world learn more about Microtia and Atresia including their options along with advocacy.  Ear Community is also a global organization and plans on helping and connecting people all over the world.  This past summer, Ear Community was able to host seven summer picnics for Microtia and Atresia families in both Canada and in the US (Toronto, Calgary, California, Colorado, Texas, New York, and New Jersey).  This up coming summer (2013), Ear Community plans to host at least seven more picnics around the world including in CA, CO, IL, OH, and FL and in the UK and in Spain.  Now that Ear Community is a non profit organization, through the help of donations and funding, Ear Community hopes to be able to help even more families across the world by being able to help donate sound processors to those who have been denied insurance coverage or who simply can not afford an aided bone conductive hearing device, help some families with travel costs and hotel stay costs when planning for surgery, and award some college scholarships to young children and teens who would like to keep their Microtia ears (as not everyone desires ear reconstructive surgery).  In addition, I hope to be able to host more conference calls helping families with Microtia/Atresia, Goldenhar Syndrome, Hemifacial Microsomia, and Treacher Collins.  I am really very excited about what the future brings for Ear Community.  The Microtia and Atresia Support Group on Facebook will continue to be a part of Ear Community.  If you know someone who is looking for an organization to donate to or enjoys giving, please let them know about Ear Community.  Ear Community’s Tax ID # is:  84-1246756.  Please visit http://www.broomfieldfoundation.org/donate-now and select the drop down box under “choose a fund” and select “Ear Community.”  Most major credit cards are accepted and if you would like to write a check, please simply note “Ear Community” in the memo area of the check.  When mailing a check, please mail to the following address:

Broomfield Community Foundation
C/o: Ear Community
P.O. Box 2040
Broomfield, Colorado 80038 (USA)

This is a wonderful cause to help contribute to and be a part of helping so many Microtia children and their families learn about their options, be able to share experiences with one another, and realize that they are not alone.   Medical professionals applaud Ear Community’s efforts along with enjoying mingling with families in a relaxed environment while being a part of our picnics.  Education is key and can help everyone make the right decisions that are the best for them individually.

Details and deadlines on how to apply for these opportunities and where to send your letters for qualifying for help with travel costs, hotel stay costs, and sound processors/Bahas will be posted in the weeks to come on our website and on our support group.  All individuals who are selected will be randomly selected.  Unfortunately, not everyone can be helped, but Ear Community will help as many people as it can.

Thank you so much and I look forward to growing the organization!
Melissa Tumblin
Founder of Ear Community
Founder of the Microtia and Atresia Support Group on Facebook

On Saturday, August 25, 2012, I, (Melissa Tumblin) – Founder of Ear Community and the Microtia and Atresia Support Group on Facebook, presented at the 2nd Annual Oticon Medical Patient Advocacy Conference in Somerset, New Jersey.   I spoke about advocacy and how Ear Community (www.Ear Community.com) can help families and individuals with Microtia and Atresia learn more about their options, including learning more about hearing loss.  I was honored to be asked to speak at the conference about Ear Community and about why I have such a passion for helping families and individuals with Microtia and Atresia around the world.  I also proudly announced that Ear Community is now a 501(c)(3) non profit organization.  I am looking forward to helping even more individuals across the world as much as I can as a non profit organization.

Thank you,
Melissa Tumblin – Founder of Ear Community and the Microtia and Atresia Support Group

Below are some pictures from the 2nd Annual Patient Advocacy Conference hosted by Oticon Medical

Hello Everyone,

As of August 16, 2012, I am so very proud to announce that Ear Community became a 501 c3 non profit organization.  I will be announcing details in the upcoming weeks and making some changes to our website along with listing our Tax ID Number.  However, I would like to share with you some of the exciting things that Ear Community will be able to provide as a non profit organization.  Through the help of donations, I plan to help as many Microtia and Atresia loved ones as I can with help for funding regarding surgery costs, travel and hotel stay, and donating new sound processors to those who have no insurance or who have be denied insurance coverage.  I also hope to award a handful of scholarships for college to those individuals who have Microtia and Atresia who have chosen to keep their beautiful little ears (as surgery is not always a wish for all).  As Ear Community grows it is possible that grant money will become available for research toward Microtia and Atresia in many ways such as demographic research to find out how many individuals have Microtia in the cities, states and provinces in which we live in so we can connect easier and to also find out how many actually have Microtia and Atresia as our current statistics tell us that anywhere from 1 in 6,000 to 1 in 12, 000 individuals have Microtia and Atresia based on regional findings.  It would be nice to know what this number actually is in the areas of the world in which we live in along with having a more concrete explanation as to why Microtia really does happen.  I also plan to continue hosting picnics around the world bringing families and individuals together who have Microtia and Atresia (including Goldenhar Syndrome, Treacher Collins, and Hemifacial Microsomia).  Ear Community is open to helping families around the world as Ear Community is a global organization.  This means that individuals and families with Microtia can qualify for consideration of the above mentioned help no matter where you live.  I will try my best to make things better and easier for all of us and to continue to promote educational and public awareness about Microtia and Atresia.  I am excited about the new opportunities that will become available to Ear Community as we grow.

Sincerely,
Melissa Tumblin
Founder of Ear Community and the Microtia and Atresia Support Group

On Saturday, July 28, 2012, we hosted our Microtia and Atresia Summer Family Picnic in Pleasanton, California! We had nearly 200 people attend our picnic. A very special Thank You to Amy Gile and her family for hosting our picnic. Thank you Amy for also being my host family and allowing me to stay with you and your family! I enjoyed getting to know you and your family and I think the world of

On Saturday, July 21st in Calgary, Alberta Canada, we had our 1st Microtia and Atresia summer family picnic (including families of Goldenhar Syndrome, Treacher Collins, and Hemifacial Microsomia loved ones).  The day was beautiful and so was our park location.  Cochlear and Oticon Medical proudly sponsored our picnic along with Handy Latino & Associates Carpet Cleaning, ph:  403 383 6132 and e-mail:  jlemus3000@gmail.com.  Cochlear, www.cochlear.com,  was happy to sponsor our food for our picnic and our fun clown who provided amazing face painting for the kids.  Oticon Medical, www.oticonmedical.com, proudly sponsored our location for our picnic.  Handy Latino & Associates also donated 12 large bags of ice so that every drink at our picnic was cold.  Handy Latino & Associates also donated items in the goody bags for all of the children along with stuffed teddy bears for each child.  We had so many wonderful people come together and help at our Calgary picnic it was amazing!  I would like to thank Xamara and Diego Van Der Pennen Lemus and her family for all of the hard work that was put into this picnic. Xamara also drove around to a number of grocery stores asking for money donations toward food items for this picnic.  I would like to thank Georgina Metzler, georgina@georgemetzler.com,  for donating her time and services as a professional photographer for our picnic and who took wonderful pictures of our amazing day. Thank you to Citlali Loza for donating Avon chapsticks to the kids in the goody bags. Thank you again to Handy Latino & Associates for also covering the cost of the additional chapsticks for Avon. Build-A-Bear in the United States proudly donated one stuffed and dressed teddy bear to this picnic for one lucky kid during the raffle. Safeway grocery store donated $25 toward food items for this picnic and Costco stores donated $70 toward food items for this picnic. Thank you to Alberta Health Services Reconstructive Medicine for donating two movie passes that were raffled off at this picnic. Thank you also to everyone who helped during the picnic such as Dave Gordey of Oticon Medical for not only taking pictures and grilling the hotdogs, but he also helped with set up and clean up after coming straight from the airport. Dave grilled with lots of delicious hot dogs along with Brad Burton. Thank you Brad for bringing your grill!  Thank you to Mayte and Brad Burton for helping find the best deals for the food, cooking our food on the day of the picnic and helping with set up and clean up for the picnic. Xamara tells me that the Burtons were absolute life savers.  Thank you to Yolani, Jasmin, Daniel, and Sebastian Benavides for helping make the fruit trays, arrange everything, loading up the cars with the food, helping all over during the picnic, making it happen, and for helping with the the raffles, and giving the goodie bags away.  Xamara appreciated your help greatly and so do I in helping with this picnic and in helping promote awareness about Microtia and Atresia through a fun picnic for everyone!  Karen Cavanah also brought a little gas stove and cooked some hotdogs, made cookies for the picnic, helped set up, take down, among other things. Alicia & Joaquin Benitez, thank you, for making the veggie trays, and cemita bread. Gladys and Makayla Lemus helped clean up the picnic area before and after, along all the above mentioned people. And…Amber from Edmonton reconstruction helped during the raffle, thank you so much! Again, the purpose of these picnics is to come together and have a nice time. Xamara’s picnic showed lots of hospitality from so many who helped come together and make this picnic happen. I hope everyone had an absolute wonderful time in Calgary last Saturday and were able to share their experiences and have a nice picnic at the park, together. Thank you Xamara for being the host for our first Calgary picnic through Ear Community!

Thank you!
Melissa Tumblin
Founder of Ear Community and the Microtia and Atresia Support Group on Facebook

On Saturday, July 21, 2012, I hosted our 2nd Annual Summer Picnic for Microtia and Atresia families (including Goldenhar Syndrome, Treacher Collins, and Hemifacial Microsomia families).  Our Colorado Picnic was a huge success! Even though it was 100 degrees, we had close to 200 people attend (almost double the amount of people from last year’s picnic). It was a wonderful day! Thank you so much to Cochlear, Oticon Medical, and Sophono for proudly sponsoring our picnic again this year.  Without our sponsors, our picnics would not be the wonderful picnics they have become.  I would not be able to put smiles on our little kids faces without your help and by giving back to the Microtia and Atresia community through Ear Community and making it fun for everyone.  Cochlear (www.cochlear.com) and the Hands & Voices Organization (www.handsandvoices.org) sponsored our magician for the kids.  “Magic Rob” made the kids laugh and did a wonderful job entertaining them.  Magic Rob was a perfect fit for our picnic as he also happens to wear a hearing aid.  Oticon Medical (www.oticonmedical.com)  proudly sponsored our delicious lunch and drinks for all, including sponsoring our beautiful park location in the lovely city of Broomfield, and the super fun jumpy castle for the kids.  Everyone enjoyed having a nice lunch while meeting one another and the kids had a blast in the jumpy castle with each other.  Sophono (www.sophono.com) proudly sponsored our face painter and balloon maker for the kids in which both lines never ran short with these two fun activities.  Families mingled with both Dr. Sheryl Lewin (www.microtiaearsurgery.com) and her family and Dr. Russell Griffiths (www.earreconstructionspecialist.com).  Families learned more about hearing loss and about Cochlear, Oticon, and Sophono options for sound processors. In fact, we had one little boy hear through a sound processor for the very first time and my daughter’s speech pathologist happened to be standing by him and she asked him “well, how does it sound?” and he whipped his head around with a big smile and said he liked it.  I enjoy hearing that someone at our picnic discovered a new option…this is what education is all about for us and knowing what our options are.  We had early intervention therapists on site with us including my daughter, Ally’s, speech therapist, Linda. I was unable to get an anaplastologist (prosthetic expert) at our picnic this time, but next year I’ll hope for one to make it.  Police officers Hiatt and Abram spoke to the kids about safety and gave the kids a tour of the police car with badges, stickers, and tattoos. The Build-A-Bear mascot visited us and posed for pictures with the kids.  Thank you Build-A-Bear for also donating a teddy bear which was raffled off to a very lucky boy at our picnic.  A special thank you to Jordan Fink and Carrie Jones of Jordan Fink Photography (www.jordanfinkphotography.com) for donating their time to be our professional photographers at our picnic so we can always remember our 2nd Annual Colorado Microtia and Atresia Picnic! Over 300 photos were taken of our amazing picnic on Saturday.  I could not have managed to take the quality of photos you took and manage the picnic at the same time. I met Jordan and Carrie at a Chamber of Commerce Small Business Event just two weeks before our picnic.  They are new in town and were looking to give back to someone in the community and I happened to meet them at this chamber event.  I guess you could say that it was meant to be!  Thank you to Costco too for donating our two sheet cakes, juice boxes, and bottled water.  Thank you to my best friend, John Connor, who donated a case of fruit twists for the kids. We also shared a moment of silence to think about the hundreds of families who have been displaced from their homes because of the fires our state has experienced and especially the families who were involved in the tragic shooting at the theater in Aurora, CO just two days ago. I am continually amazed at the support I have received in making these picnics possible and for all of the families and individuals who support me as well by coming together at our picnics, showing me that we all want to meet one another and share experiences. Even though I feel that I never have enough time to meet each and everyone of you at our picnics or have to cut our conversations short to make sure everything is running smoothly, I always have a wonderful time and I enjoy meeting so many of you. It is so nice to meet everyone from our support group and to meet the families that I have been able to speak with over the phone. I am especially happy to always see both kids and adults with Microtia and Atresia attend our picnic, no matter whether surgery was a decision or the decision was to keep those beautiful little ears.  It is about coming together and learning from each other and having some role models for both the kids and the parents.  I love you all and look forward to seeing you at all of our picnics every year!

Thank you for making our picnic the success that it was once again!
Melissa Tumblin
Founder of Ear Community and the Microtia and Atresia Support Group on Facebook