A Little Girl's Journey to Clear Sounds

A five-year-old girl named Eliza has a rare condition called microtia. This means her outer ears and ear canals did not develop properly. For most of her life, she could only hear muffled sounds, like being underwater with headphones on. But now, thanks to a special surgery, she can hear clearly for the first time.

The Rare Condition

Eliza was born with bilateral microtia, a condition that affects about one in 3,800 babies in the United States. There are different levels of microtia, and Eliza has a severe form called grade three. Her ears are small and peanut-shaped, with no ear canal or eardrum.

Early Surgery and Waiting Period

When Eliza was just nine days old, she had her first surgery. Her family found a doctor named Sheryl Lewin, who specializes in ear reconstruction. The doctor uses a technique called PIER, which helps create more natural-looking ears with less scarring. Most surgeons wait until a child is five or six years old to perform this surgery, so Eliza had to wait a long time.

The Big Surgery

For the past five years, Eliza used a bone-anchored hearing aid called a BAHA. She wore it under a headband every day. But in June, she had a big surgery to rebuild her ear and received a cochlear Osia implant. This implant sits under her skin and sends sound vibrations directly to her skull, bypassing the middle ear. The surgery took 10 hours, and when Eliza heard her mother's voice clearly for the first time, she cried tears of joy.

Celebrating the New Ears

Eliza's family and surgical team celebrated her new ears by singing "Happy Birthday". Eliza even said she sometimes misses her old headband, but she loves her new big ear. She checks it every day and thinks it's beautiful. She can now hear sounds more clearly, like the letter "S" and the sound of her dogs' barks.

Eliza's Life and Dreams

Eliza has two dogs, Luna and Lincoln, and she loves horseback riding, ice cream, and playing on her iPad. Her implant can connect directly to her iPad, so she doesn't need to wear headphones. She can't wait to get back to horseback riding soon. Eliza has two siblings who traveled with her for some of her surgeries.

Eliza's mother, Jennifer, worked night shifts as a remote OBGYN triage nurse until May. Coordinating work, family appointments, and medical travel was challenging, but she is grateful to take a step back now. Eliza's second and final surgery is scheduled for October 16, and the family plans to stay in California for 11 days.

Eliza dreams of becoming a doctor who helps kids with broken bones or a veterinarian when she grows up. Her journey to clear sounds has been a long one, but she is finally able to hear the world around her.