Archives for July 2019

The VUMC MAC clinic from left: Ron Eavey MD SM (ENT Clinical Director and Chair), Brandy Stephens AuD, Melissa Tumblin (Ear Community), Sharon Johnson RN, Scott Stephan MD , Keisha Conway (clinical coordinator), Stephanie Claybrooks RN, Alejandro Rivas MD and Meghan Geiser ENT admin.

On Saturday, July 20th, 2019, Vanderbilt University Medical Center hosted the 4th Annual Microtia and Atresia educational conference at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital. We had nearly 100 parents and individuals join us this year at our MAC (Microtia Atresia Clinic) conference. Attendees learned about all of the options available for Microtia and Atresia and were able to meet with medical professionals to get answers to their questions. A parent panel helped families who have had surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center share their experiences with conference attendees. On site childcare was available for FREE during the conference, providing entertainment and fun crafts for children who attended. ASL and closed captioning was available.

2019 Vanderbilt University Medical Center Microtia and Atresia conference.

The conference included presentations made by the following Microtia and Atresia Clinic staff members:
Ron Eavey, MD, SM (ENT Clinical Director) – Welcome, Microtia and Atresia research, rib graft surgery including soft tissue repair
Scott Stephan, MD – Medpor outer ear reconstruction and CAM (Canalplasty w/Medpor one stage surgery) and what to expect
Alejandro Rivas, MD – Canalplasty, aural atresia repair, CAM (Canalplasty and Medpor one stage surgery) and BAI hearing devices
Brandy Stephens, AuD  – Hearing management and bone anchored hearing implants
Scott Fiscus, BCO – Anaplastology and ear prosthesis
Parent Panel

Nashville, TN

Scott Stephan, MD (Vanderbilt University Medical Center – ENT), Kole Shuda, Melissa Tumblin (Ear Community), Ally Tumblin (Ear Community), Rachel Songy (Ear Community board member), Hailey Tumblin (Ear Community), Noelle Smith, Melissa McClellan (Ear Community board member) and Alejandro Rivas, MD (Vanderbilt University Medical Center – ENT).

The Hurley Family: Travis and Dayla w/ Brilee, Brooklyn and Brody along w/Melissa, Ally and Hailey Tumblin (Ear Community)

On Saturday, July 20th, the Ear Community Organization and Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Microtia and Atresia Clinic hosted their 4th Annual Microtia and Atresia picnic together with nearly 200 attendees. Everyone enjoyed a lovely picnic day at the Vanderbilt University recreation center where the kids enjoyed getting their faces painted, balloon art, a magician and outdoor fun. Brody Hurley, along with his mom, Dayla, and father Travis, including his siblings Brilee and Brooklyn, helped host our picnic (patients of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center). The Hurley family shared their experience with Brody having bilateral Microtia and Atresia and their decision to aid and implant Brody with two bone anchored hearing devices to help him hear better. The Hurley family also shared with everyone how much Ear Community means to their family and how much the organization has helped them with resources and support. The Founders of Ear Community, Melissa, Hailey, and Ally Tumblin, also joined us at this year’s Ear Community picnic in Nashville. The Ear Community Organization (including the Tumblin Family and board members Melissa McClellan and Rachel Songy) honored the Vanderbilt MAC clinic and staff with an award recognizing the clinic as an international center for excellence and for helping so many Microtia and Atresia families.

Everyone enjoyed beautiful  music performed by Kole Shuda and Noelle Smith who were both born with Microtia and Atresia, which made everything even more special knowing that our children can go on to become anything they want to in life. Attending families were given the opportunity to try on hearing devices and learn about outer ear implants thanks to our Ear Community Sponsors:
Platinum Sponsors – Cochlear Americas (Baha 5) and Oticon Medical (Ponto 3 & 4) 
Silver Sponsors – Stryker (Medpor) and MedEL (ADHEAR and Bonebridge) and learn more about prosthetic ears and The Vanderbilt University Medical Center ENT staff (Drs. Eavey, Stephan, and Rivas, along with Dr. Stephens AuD, Scott Fiscus BCO) joined us wearing our “Vandy Microtia Kids Rock” t-shirts during our picnic portion of the event. Everyone enjoyed the day and we look forward to seeing so many of you again each year at our Vanderbilt University Medical Center Microtia and Atresia conference, clinic, and Ear Community picnic! Everyone also enjoyed a delicious picnic catered by Jim ‘N Nick’s BBQ.

Here are some fun memories from our Vanderbilt and Ear Community picnic event: