Ancient children91裸聊视频檚 bones are the typical subjects of scans at Hugo Cardoso91裸聊视频檚 lab. Five-year-old girls, who are very much alive, are not.

In October, the archeology department at Simon Fraser University welcomed Nelson91裸聊视频檚 Zillah Shulman who arrived with her mother Milenia. The visit came after Cardoso received a unique request from a California surgeon that the lab to take images of Shulman91裸聊视频檚 left ear with its high-end 3D scanner.

Zillah was born with the rare congenital condition microtia that prevents ears from fully developing in utero. She wears a hearing aid on the right side of her head where her fully developed ear should be. The scans at SFU would be used to create a new prosthetic ear for her to live with.

Cardoso, SFU91裸聊视频檚 chair of the archeology department, usually works with human remains. His team scans bones to create permanent digital copies that can be studied and preserved while the originals deteriorate. But Cardoso91裸聊视频檚 lab is the only facility in B.C. to own the type of scanner needed to build Zillah91裸聊视频檚 ear, and he was happy to help.

91裸聊视频淚 didn91裸聊视频檛 really think much about it. I had the equipment. I work at a public university, I see the work that I do as public service. The work that I do, and the research that I do, is paid by Canadian tax dollars. It was kind of obvious to me that why not?91裸聊视频�

Barak and Milenia Shulman have been working toward giving their daughter a new ear since she was one year old.

Zillah was born at BC Children91裸聊视频檚 Hospital in Vancouver with omphalocele, a condition that leads to infants being birthed with organs sticking out of their belly buttons. The family was prepared for this and knew in advance she would arrive with her liver partially outside the belly. What surprised them however was the tiny nub on the right side of Zillah91裸聊视频檚 head where her ear should have been.

Even though his daughter could live a healthy life without her right ear, Barak wants Zillah grow up without being bullied for her condition. He91裸聊视频檚 noticed she91裸聊视频檚 already thought of ways to defend herself if that happens.

91裸聊视频淎 child has so many things in regards to development and learning about social things that we didn91裸聊视频檛 want anything else to to make that more complex than it already is.91裸聊视频�

In B.C. new ears for children with microtia are made using cartilage taken from ribs. The surgery, which was invented in 1958, is available at BC Children91裸聊视频檚 Hospital and covered by the Medical Services Plan for children 15 and younger.

But surgeons won91裸聊视频檛 perform on children until they are about 10 years old, and the Shulmans don91裸聊视频檛 want Zillah to wait another five years for the procedure.

The family opted instead for a surgery that isn91裸聊视频檛 available in Canada. Dr. Sheryl Lewin, a plastic surgeon in California, uses 3D scans of patient91裸聊视频檚 ears to create a nearly identical replacement for the side that is underdeveloped.

The procedure is expensive 91裸聊视频� the Shulmans say it and related travel expenses will cost approximately $100,000 91裸聊视频� but doesn91裸聊视频檛 require any cartilage taken from Zillah91裸聊视频檚 ribs. It won91裸聊视频檛 fix her hearing, but the ear is made bigger than it should be at Zillah91裸聊视频檚 age so she can grow into it and won91裸聊视频檛 need any replacements.

But first Lewin needed scans of Zillah91裸聊视频檚 ear. That led to a call with Cardoso, who uses the same handheld Artec Space Spider scanner that Lewin has.

When Zillah visited SFU91裸聊视频檚 Juvenile Osteology Group lab on Oct. 16, she sat in Milenia91裸聊视频檚 lap while research assistant Nicola Murray scanned hundreds of images of her left ear to send to Lewin. The process took a little over an hour.

91裸聊视频淣icola was very I think touched and felt really good to be involved in a project that has nothing to do with the work that she91裸聊视频檚 been doing with me, but that has a real visible and tangible and immediate impact on people91裸聊视频檚 lives,91裸聊视频� said Cardoso.

Now that the scans are complete, the Shulmans will next travel to Torrence, Calif., for the surgery on Jan. 10. Afterward the family will stay near Lewin91裸聊视频檚 clinic for a month of post-op appointments.

Barak and Milenia are looking forward to Zillah being able to do little things people take for granted, like wearing sunglasses. They also think her confidence will improve, and a weight will be lifted off the family.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 this massive hurdle that we91裸聊视频檝e been watching on the horizon for years and years and years,91裸聊视频� said Barak. 91裸聊视频淎nd now it91裸聊视频檚 around the corner and we91裸聊视频檙e about to take it and then put it behind us.91裸聊视频�

They91裸聊视频檒l also follow through on a promise made to Zillah for something she asked for but wasn91裸聊视频檛 possible without the surgery.

She91裸聊视频檒l get her first set of earrings.

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