From one Mom’s heart during Better Hearing and Speech Month

Meet Nicole Mazer and her sweet son, Barrett! When Barrett was born with bilateral Microtia and Atresia, Nicole and her family felt a little lost along the way and alone. Thankfully, Nicole’s family found our Ear Community Organization! Microtia and Aural Atresia is a rare congenital condition that occurs in 1 out of every 6,000 births in the United States. Being a rare cause, not every medical facility is going to have enough information for families who have children born without ears and no ear canals, resulting in loss. As a thank you from Nicole and Barrett and their family, the Mazer family wanted to help pay it forward! Not only did Nicole want to help promote education about Microtia and Atresia, but she also wanted to raise awareness by involving the community by helping others learn more about Microtia and Atresia! In addition, she wanted to also help give back our organization – helping Ear Community can continue to help other families who have children and adults with Microtia and Atresia!

Nicole wanted to get the community involved and help make a difference – and that she did! First, Nicole wanted to help bring awareness about this rare cause to her high school she attended at Clearview Regional High School in Mullica Hill, NJ! She and her mom, Cindy, reached out to Clearview Regional’s ASL Club where she and Barrett presented on Microtia and Aural Atresia, which is one of many different ways congenital hearing loss can occur. Clearview Regional High School’s ASL Club hosted a jeans day that raised $257.00 for our Ear Community Organization during Nicole and Barrett’s presentation. A special thank you to Special Education Teacher and ASL Club Advisor, Kirsti Gimpel, for welcoming Nicole, Barrett and Cindy at Clearview Regional High School to share about our rare cause! A special thank you to Marilyn Goetz for organizing the jeans day fundraiser at Clearview Regional High School for our Organization!

For months, the Mazer Family also worked on planning another public fundraiser to help the Ear Community Organization raise funds for the good the organization does. Nicole and Barrett hosted a fun and educational fundraiser at Top Golf for friends and family where they showed a slide presentation during the event on Microtia and Atresia! Nicole organized slides that had statistics and images of Microtia ears and information about hearing loss (Aural Atresia) along with lots of helpful information to educate everyone during the golf event! While promoting education and raising awareness during the Top Golf event for our rare cause, Nicole’s family raised a total of $2,300.00 for our Ear Community Organization! A tremendous “Thank You” to Nicole and Barrett and their family! In addition to Nicole’s family raising funds to help give back to nonprofits like Ear Community, Nicole’s sister, Liz Mazer, has also embraced supporting the Microtia and Atresia community by individually contributing to the Ear Community Organization as well as involving her employer, EJF Capitol, in being involved in community outreach and support to grassroots organizations.

Our Ear Community Organization is so proud of Nicole and Barrett and the Mazer Family for wanting to help raise awareness about Microtia and Atresia to help makes things easier on the next family that has a child born with Microtia and Aural Atresia! Especially during Better Hearing and Speech Month! Nicole and Barrett – you both are AMAZING advocates for our cause  and our community! Thank you for your amazing support and for wanting to help educate in your community! Our organization is grateful for YOU and your advocacy!

Below are some fun memories from Nicole and Barrett’s school presentation!