Helping Zoey Hear on National Microtia and Atresia Awareness Day

Zoey receives the gift of hearing for National Microtia and Atresia Awareness Day. San Antonio, TX, November 5th, 2024. Ponto 5 Mini thanks to Oticon Medical and Ear Community. (right ear microtia and atresia)

Meet Zoey, a sweet 14 year old girl from San Antonio, Texas! Zoey was born with a congenital anomaly affecting her right ear, known as microtia and aural atreisa – where her outer ear and ear canal did not fully develop, causing hearing loss. Even though Zoey has always been interested in school and is social, she has struggled off and on with her hearing over the years. When Zoey was in elementary school, her mom, Anna, took her to the audiologist for a routine hearing test. At the time, Zoey had healthcare coverage through the Texas CHIP program. After learning more about Zoey’s hearing loss and receiving a recommendation from their audiologist for a bone conduction hearing device, Anna was excited to help Zoey hear better. However, the CHIP program denied coverage for a hearing device when Zoey’s family applied.

Fast forward a few years later where Zoey is now in 8th grade. Her hearing loss is becoming more of a struggle for her in the school classroom because of background noises and loud sounds. Anna didn’t realize how much Zoey was struggling to hear each day until Zoey finally mentioned it and they had a conversation about her hearing. This time, Anna applied to Medicaid for a bone conduction hearing device. Anna had been waiting to hear back from Medicaid since 2023 – only to be denied! Meanwhile, Zoey began struggling in school. Anna shared that Zoey had become fearful of asking her teachers to clarify or repeat themselves because she thinks they will think she is not listening. Zoey had also begun guessing about what was being said while trying to read lips. Zoey had also recently began struggling with hearing how loud or soft her voice was when speaking. Frustrated, Anna began reaching out to a few hearing loss organizations that she was informed of in hopes of finding a hearing device for Zoey. Sadly, Anna didn’t receive any responses back from the applications they filled out! Anna says Zoey had cried many times, worrying about her hearing and sadly wondering why they couldn’t find the help she needed!

Anna, Kate, Zoey, Steven and Eloise Quesada, November 2024.

For years, Anna had belonged to an online community for families with children who have microtia and atresia. Once Anna realized the support group was part of a nonprofit organization called Ear Community, she applied for a hearing device for Zoey. After Ear Community’s Board of Directors learned how this family has been continually denied access to hearing for their daughter, the Board voted to help Zoey obtain a bone conduction hearing device! On November 5th, 2024, Zoey received the gift of hearing with a Newly donated Ponto 5 Mini bone conduction hearing device from Oticon Medical! Zoey was fitted with her Ponto 5 Mini by Dr. Phallon Doss, owner of the Doss Audiology & Hearing Center. Anna said, “Zoey started crying when she heard through hearing device for the first time. She went outside of the audiology office and said Wow! I didn’t know birds chirped like that! The best part, Anna said, is when Zoey got home and practiced the trumpet she’s been playing for the last years, she said I never knew trumpets really sounded like that!”

Anna is grateful to the Ear Community Organization for helping her daughter hear. – “Thank you for fighting for Zoey in this journey when it felt like I had exhausted every possible option, knocked on every door and felt like I had nowhere else to turn! You have been God’s response to a 14 year old girl’s desperate (and silent) cries for help! Thank you Ear Community!”  Melissa Tumblin, Executive Director of Ear Community says, “It takes a village. Our organization has been helping children and adults in need obtain bone conduction hearing devices since 2012. No one should ever have to fight this hard to hear! And yet insurance providers continue to deny these medically necessary hearing devices! For this very reason, our organization has a Federal piece of legislation in place that would help make coverage consistent, known as Ally’s Act, H.R. 2439/S. 1135. Our community needs this bill to pass!”

Zoey and Dr. Phallon Doss

When a hearing device is donated by the Ear Community Organization, more than just the Ear Community Organization is involved. A special thank you to Anna and Zoey for advocating for better hearing and for never giving up! A special thank you to Oticon Medical for giving back to the community through nonprofits like Ear Community, so that together we can help improve people’s quality of life! Thank you to Brendalys Trinidad, Consumer Marketing and Events Manager of Oticon Medical US, for making sure Zoey’s Ponto made it in time for her special hearing day! Brendalys has been behind many gifts of hearing with Ear Community and we are grateful for you! A special thank you to Dr. Phallon Doss for not only fitting and programming Zoey’s Ponto, but for helping this family receive the gift of hearing that will help Zoey thrive! Also a special thank you to Tony Puricelli, Territory Manager for Oticon Medical, for making sure Zoey and Dr. Doss had everything needed for Zoey’s special hearing day! It’s quite possible that Zoey’s fitting wouldn’t have worked out the way it did if it were not for everyone involved pressing on and advocating when needed! Most of all, Zoey received the gift of hearing during National Microtia and Atresia Awareness Day, which is something quite meaningful all on its own.

Thank you to Ear Community’s Board of Directors for helping change a child’s life! We are so happy you found us, Anna and Zoey! We are even happier Zoey can hear the birds, her trumpet and not have to worry about missing a beat in the classroom when her teachers are teaching. We know Zoey will go on to do amazing things!
Melissa Tumblin
Executive Director
Ear Community