Jillian's Microtia Surgeries

Jillian Smith, a beautiful, strong-willed and courageous eight year-old  with a passion for school and sports, was born with Bilateral Microtia.  

"Microtia is a congenital deformity of the outer ear where the ear does not fully develop during the first trimester of pregnancy.  Microtia ears vary in appearance, and are usually smaller in size, often only consisting of a tiny peanut-shaped lobe. Microtia occurs about 1 in 5,000 births, though rates can vary depending on ethnic background.  In 90% of cases, it affects only one ear, usually the right ear, and is more common in males. " Sited (Stanford Children's Health)

Jillian however, was born with Microtia on both ears and will need three reconstructive surgeries this year.  The surgeon will suture pieces of cartilage harvested from Jillian's ribs to create the framework for the new ears and cover them with the patient's normal tissue. Recovery involves short term hospital stays and long term recuperation at home.

While Jillian is able to hear, there are times where this condition hinders her hearing abilities and overall quality of life.  Safety is a major concern because when Jillian wears a helmet for sports and bike-riding, she cannot hear clearly.  During Winter time, when Jillian wears a hat, she has difficulty hearing everyday sounds such as traffic and voices like the crossing guard, teacher, friends in the playground, etc.  As Jillian gets older, this condition is beginning to affect her self confidence at school as well as in extra-curricular activities.  Already a timid child, she has become negatively impacted by situations where other children call attention to her ear deformity. 

Upon attending a Microtia conference in NYC, Jillian's parents selected a surgeon based out of California who specialized in only Microtia surgeries.  To their dismay, this surgeon retired three years ago due to medical reasons.  He recommended Jillian's current surgeon based out of NYC.  Although Jillian's parents have been saving for the surgeries since Jillian was born, the current surgeon does not accept any medical insurance.  With the medical fees for the doctor alone well exceeding the goal amount, I'd like to help them make up the difference.   As a dear friend of the family, I have witnessed the emotional toll that this situation has taken on them. While there is little that I can do to help minimize their worries emotionally,  I would love to help alleviate the financial burden that these surgeries impose.

Any donation, big or small, will make a huge difference to Jillian's future.