Testimonials

After successful microtia surgery and ear reconstruction, Vincent Bianca makes a seamless transition into the life of a happy eight-year-old boy. Vincent, with his father and stepmother, faces life with renewed confidence and optimism.

Vincent Patrick Bianca was born on May 30, 1996. He weighed a solid 9 lb., 7 oz. It was a day I will never forget.

We had no warning that anything was wrong with Vincent. My sister is a maternity ward nurse and was in the operating room during Vincent's birth. The fear in her eyes as she entered the waiting area alerted me that something was very wrong. Vincent was born without ears. The technical term for this condition is bilateral microtia/atresia.

For a while, I was engulfed by sadness, anger, and self-pity. But I found the strength to pick myself up and dust myself off. I became steadfast in my diligence to get Vincent medical help. The doctors at Yale/New Haven Hospital in Connecticut determined that Vincent could hear. We met with doctors at Newington's Children's Medical Center, who arranged for a speech therapist to work with Vincent once a week, from the age of four months to three years. During that time, Vincent wore a bone conduction hearing aid, and I began searching for a surgeon.

We quickly realized that specialists in microtia/atresia surgery are few and far between. From our home on Connecticut, we traveled to Houston, Texas, to visit a surgeon who specialized in microtia repair using the child's rib cartilage to form the ear. This sounded too barbaric. Finally, through an Internet "chat group," I found a plastic surgeon in New York City whose state-of-the art techniques for microtia repair involving bone-anchored hearing aids (BAHAs) and cosmetic ears made of porous polyethylene, a flexible, biocompatible plastic. After just one visit, I knew I had found the right doctor for Vincent.

The first surgery was performed in July 1999, and the fourth and last in August 2002. Vincent healed well and amazingly fast between operations. The finished product is remarkable. The titanium anchors behind Vincent's ears hold his BAHAs. His speech and hearing are excellent. Vincent attends regular school and lives a relatively normal life. He will always have to be careful, as the BAHA can't get wet - but these are minor inconveniences.

While insurance has covered a substantial portion of the bills, the out-of-pocket expenses, including deductibles, travel and lodging totaled roughly $10,000. That's more that 1/5th of my gross income. It hasn't been easy, financially, but knowing that Vincent has received and benefited from the best care possible makes it all worthwhile. A foundation dedicated to helping children with microtia would be a wonderful thing for parents who may not be so fortunate.

- Paul J. Bianca