Having a baby is the most precious, rewarding and amazing event in anyone's life, and everyone wants a perfect healthy baby. So imagine how it feels when your baby is born and the first thing you notice is that it has one small abnormal ear or even both ears are affected. This is what my daughter and her husband faced when Sophie was born in December 2010. Their first thoughts were how could this possibly happen. Is she deaf? Is there anything else wrong with her? No-one could answer these questions. The midwife said she had only seen it once before but had no idea what it was. Fiona and Colin felt totally alone and their family was devastated for them. At first the doctors were vague but soon were able to tell us it was a condition called Microtia. As we struggled to come to terms with what was happening we soon realised there was very little information anywhere to help us understand what this condition meant for Sophie now and in the future. Yes there were bits and pieces here and there but nothing that would tell us exactly what it was, what to expect, how to get help and how to deal with it. So I was inspired to write this book covering the first 5 years of Sophie's life; being honest and telling it how it was, facing the ups and downs and realising it wasn't as daunting as it seemed! My daughter and her husband have been very lucky from the onset, getting help from many sources both medical and otherwise. But we soon discovered through social media and talking to parents in similar situations that this was not always the case. Some families just don't know where to turn and how to deal with microtia. This book is not just a personal story of a child, it also contains information on microtia, how to get help, surgeons' opinions etc. So I hope through reading Sophie's Little Adventure it will help all parents of children with microtia and any adults out there with microtia who have had very little help and understanding on how to deal with this little-known condition.
About the Author: Dawn Calvert is a retired teacher living in Belfast, N Ireland, having graduated from Stranmillis College, Belfast in 1973. She and her husband have four children and eight grandchildren. Dawn has a broad educational background having attained a BA and a Diploma in French through the Open University. She is always looking for a challenge, and writing this book was just that! In her spare time she draws, paints, reads, knits and enjoys a bit of gardening.