Juan Ramirez is like any other 9-year-old boy; he likes playing video games and soccer with his brothers. But unlike other little boys, Juan is missing his right ear.
"I thought about God wanted me like this, but I still wanted my ear normal. So, I told my mom and my dad if I could have surgery," said Ramirez.
Ramirez was born with Microtia. It's a congenital deformity that strikes one in every 8,000 to 10,000 births and is most common in boys. Ramirez's case is one the severest. He has no ear canal and no outer ear.
"Once he was old enough to understand I started to explain to him that it was not his fault or anyone else's; it was just something that happened," said Rosalind del la Torre, Ramirez's mother.
Last year, de la Torre and her husband, Francisco Ramirez, took Juan to UTMB to seek out medical help. Hospital officials referred the family to Doctor Raghu Athre.
Dr. Athre is an otolaryngologist and facial plastic surgeons utilizing the latest in ear reconstruction surgery by using an ear implant.
"The old way was taking a rib graft and then craving the ear out of the rib. Both procedures have pluses and minuses, the advantage in doing this procedure is we don't have to take one of his ribs," said Athre.
But there was just one problem - insurance would not cover the surgery. The Ramirez family expected they'd have to wait years to save up the money.
"Everyone came together and basically donated their services so that we could make this happen," said Dr. Athre.
Memorial Herman Southeast Hospital donated its operating room, MEDPOR donated its ear implant, UTMB's Chief Medical Resident, Dr. Michael Briscoe Jr., donated his time along with several other medical professionals.
"We could have had it done, but it would have taken a lot longer ... He's an angel," said de la Torre.
In the end, a little boy is getting a chance to be just like other boys his age.
"I thought about God wanted me like this, but I still wanted my ear normal. So, I told my mom and my dad if I could have surgery," said Ramirez.
Ramirez was born with Microtia. It's a congenital deformity that strikes one in every 8,000 to 10,000 births and is most common in boys. Ramirez's case is one the severest. He has no ear canal and no outer ear.
"Once he was old enough to understand I started to explain to him that it was not his fault or anyone else's; it was just something that happened," said Rosalind del la Torre, Ramirez's mother.
Last year, de la Torre and her husband, Francisco Ramirez, took Juan to UTMB to seek out medical help. Hospital officials referred the family to Doctor Raghu Athre.
Dr. Athre is an otolaryngologist and facial plastic surgeons utilizing the latest in ear reconstruction surgery by using an ear implant.
"The old way was taking a rib graft and then craving the ear out of the rib. Both procedures have pluses and minuses, the advantage in doing this procedure is we don't have to take one of his ribs," said Athre.
But there was just one problem - insurance would not cover the surgery. The Ramirez family expected they'd have to wait years to save up the money.
"Everyone came together and basically donated their services so that we could make this happen," said Dr. Athre.
Memorial Herman Southeast Hospital donated its operating room, MEDPOR donated its ear implant, UTMB's Chief Medical Resident, Dr. Michael Briscoe Jr., donated his time along with several other medical professionals.
"We could have had it done, but it would have taken a lot longer ... He's an angel," said de la Torre.
In the end, a little boy is getting a chance to be just like other boys his age.
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