“The doctors and nurses told us that Davin didn’t have ears. That he was going to be a deaf-mute and would never talk or hear. I didn’t believe them and the next day my mom came to the hospital with a yellow piece of paper with writing on it – microtia and atresia” – Shannon Gordon

“I remember the day when my youngest daughter Alyssa (Ally) was born. It was one of the happiest moments in my life. My husband, Brent, and I were so thrilled to finally meet her. I remember her little smile and how beautiful she was, but I also remember Brent coming over to me with tears welled up in his eyes when he said ‘Something is wrong with her ear.’ Ally’s right ear was only partially formed, with no obvious ear canal.” – Melissa Tumblin, Founder of Ear Community

Melissa Tumblin with her daughter, Ally, at the prescreening of the movie Wonder

This is not just Shannon and Melissa’s story. It’s the story that many families with microtia and atresia have faced.

Today, we’re happy to see awareness being spread from the recent movie “Wonder”, which documents the journey of Auggie Pullman, a boy born with Treacher Collins Syndrome, who has microtia and atresia. Although Auggie’s story might be fictional, the lives of approximately 600,000 individuals who have been diagnosed with a craniofacial condition in the U.S. and 34,000 people living with microtia are real. As awareness is cultivated by movies like “Wonder”, so is kindness, responsibility, and friendship. Ultimately, we hope this movie and others like it will continue to inspire the world to ‘choose kind’.

“This movie is bringing a lot of awareness to some of our very rare differences.” – Rachel Plassmeyer