Ear Community among presenters at this year’s American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association

Melissa Tumblin, Founder of the Ear Community Organization, is proud to be a presenter at this year’s American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association Meeting taking place in Palm Springs, CA along with the CARE Study Team, a research team Ear Community has proudly been collaborating with for the past five years!

Our panel presentation, “Enhancing Craniofacial Research: Integrating Family Stakeholders,” will take place on Friday, May 9th at 7AM and will include Amy Schefer, Melissa Tumblin, Amy Mendillo, Lucy Pearse, Kris Pearse, Dr. Nicola Stock, Dr. Canice Crerand, Dr. Alexis Johns.

Authors: Stock NM, Herring B, Magee L, Johns AL, Crerand CE, Heike CL, Schefer A, Drake AF, Tumblin M, Feragen KB.

The CARE Study Team has conducted research that was needed in the microtia and atresia and craniofacial field. Thanks to our collaborative research efforts, our CARE Team is making things easier for the next family that has a child born with microtia and atresia and craniofacial microsomia! The CARE Team is comprised of a interdisciplinary group of more than 20 members from 7 countries including members who are advocates, researchers, and healthcare providers. Our team works out of two primary sites – Seattle Children’s Research Institute and the University of Bristol, West England in the UK. Our research team also includes a number of subcommittees and an Advisory Council as well.

Our CARE Study Team is proud to be making multiple presentations during the ACPA including having multiple papers accepted from our team’s research at this year’s meeting! Below is just one of the papers from our team’s contributions.

“Surgical Decision-Making Regarding Hearing and Ear Reconstruction in Craniofacial Microsomia: Exploring Caregiver Narratives,” – Manuscript Number: JCMS-D-24-00363R1, Journal of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery. Published in January 2025. Authors:  Stock NM, Herring B, Magee L, Johns AL, Crerand CE, Heike CL, Schefer A, Drake AF, Tumblin M, Feragen KB.

For more information on our CARE research team and advisory board, visit: CARE Team

I am looking forward to seeing lots of our medical professional friends and fellow advocates at this year’s meeting!

Thank you!
Melissa Tumblin
Founder – Executive Director
Ear Community