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:
About Melissa Tumblin
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