Brand New Ears!

In a nutshell- Bowie was born with bilateral microtia which means his ears didn't form entirely in utero. He's now at the age where he can get the reconstructive surgery that will give him two normal looking ears and upgrade to more advanced hearing devices. Even with insurance our part is way more than what is affordable.

More details-

Bowie was born with bilateral microtia atresia and bilateral micrognathia. He is technically deaf with a 60% hearing loss and has worn hearing aids since he was 6 months old. Microtia is the malformation of the outer ear and atresia is the term used to describe how the inner ear, ear canal, and inner ear bones formed improperly. Micrognathia, which often accompanies microtia atresia is the malformation of the lower jaw. Bowie had surgery to correct this part before he turned one.

He is now seven and is at the age where he can receive the reconstructive surgery to repair his outer ears. In his case, his inner ear structures and ear canal is not formed well enough to make him a candidate for repair. The surgery that he will be having will not contribute to his auditory improvement. The surgery will however give him normal ears with a procedure utilizing a prefabricated ear form, surgically attached, and covered with his own skin. He will then receive a magnetic implant behind each new ear that will allow his new hearing devices to attach. His new hearing aides will provide improved hearing with the added benefits of decreased feedback and water resistance.

He will undergo three surgeries over the course of 12 to 15 months to have this completed. The first one is scheduled for May 2023. The second surgery is October 2023.