Meet Trace, who was born with microtia and atresia of his left ear. Trace originally had outer ear reconstructive surgery years ago when he was little, but his surgeries were unsuccessful. Trace’s family felt at a loss and had little hope of what could be done to correct Trace’s multiple failed rib graft surgeries. Thankfully, Trace and his family found Dr. Scott Stephan. Dr. Stephan explained that a new ear could be reconstructed using Medpor. Today, Trace has a newly reconstructed outer ear that he is much happier with.
Trace is now 16 years old and his family has since then moved to Florida where he is very active on the beach and enjoys fishing. Trace has also taken up playing soccer! Trace’s mom, Amber, says “before Trace’s surgery, he had very little self-esteem and now when I look back at this young man, he’s so full of life! He even shaved half of his head this past summer, which is a very big thing for him because his little ear was always a problem for him. I can’t thank you enough for giving my son back his confidence, Dr. Stephan. I tell him all the time that he is my hero. Trace is so strong and confident and as a mother, it makes my heart smile.” – Amber Cummings