Ear Community Becomes a 501c3 Non Profit Organization…

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