ASHLAND — Grayson Conley whispers into his mother’s ear, urging her to tell a joke his doctor told him.

Ears are not to be taken for granted in the Conley family.



The 8-year-old Summit boy was born with microtia, meaning he was born without an ear.

“We found out within just a few weeks of delivery that after the age of 5, we could elect to have multiple surgeries to not only construct an outer ear, but to possibly have hearing if he had inner ear parts,” Kelley Conley, his mother, said.

Mrs. Conley said they were pleased to learn as Grayson got older than he had perfect hearing in his good hear.

“The only way to tell for sure if he had inner ear parts (in the other ear) was to have a CAT scan which they suggested waiting until the age of 5 to do,” Mrs. Conley said. “He has had several hearing tests that he did respond to which was a positive sign that he did have the inner ear parts.”

Last November, a CAT scan showed he did have all the inner ear parts and that surgery to construct an ear would not only change Grayson on the outside, but would improve his hearing.

Grayson, his mother, grandmother and his sister traveled to Woodside, Calif., on April 25 for his surgery on April 28 at El Camino Surgery Center with Dr. Burt Brent, a physician and sculptor who is well known for building ears for children with microtia. He performs eight to 10 such surgeries at week.

The Conleys praised the surgery center and Brent.

“I was overwhelmed by how blessed of a trip it was, from the doctor to the waiting room to the personalized care,” Mrs. Conley said. “It was unbelievable.” The waiting room was full of stuffed animals for the patients to play with, she said, and every step of the way, the doctors and staff made patients and families feel comfortable.

Grayson said he was more nervous about his first plane ride than he was about the surgery, which involved taking cartilage from one of his ribs from which to construct his near ear, a procedure his mother compared to a broken rib in terms of pain.

His head was bandaged for a couple of weeks and he had to endure drainage tubes in his ear for a week. B

However, Grayson bounced back quickly, allowing for a good deal of time to enjoy the sites in California.

“We put on wet suits and surfed at Santa Cruz beach,” Mrs. Conley said, adding they enjoyed the famous amusement part on the pier. Grayson said his favorite part was seeing seals on the beach.

The family also went to San Francisco and visited Mrs. Conley’s brother near Sacramento during their two-week stay.

The process, however, isn’t over.

Grayson has three more surgeries to come before the process is complete. Brent explained the process of building the ear from living tissue must be taken slowly so the tissue can take to Grayson’s system and begin to grow. Upcoming surgeries, planned for August and November in California, will finish the building of the outer ear. Next spring, the family will travel to Virginia for the final surgery that will make the opening to the inner ear.

The surgery has already made a difference in Grayson’s life.

Second-grade teacher at Summit Elementary School Melanie Rockwell said she has seen Grayson blossom.

“Before he knew he was going to have surgery, he was kind of standoffish. He isolated himself from the other children,” Rockwell said, adding she never heard anyone picking on him.

“Sometimes they wanted to touch his ear because it was different,” she said. “I think he felt different. Even though we loved him just the way he was, in his heart and mind, he was different.”

Rockwell said his attitude changed as soon as he learned he would have the surgery.

“He came into class with a big smile on his face, telling everybody about the surgery,” she recalled. “The kids wanted to know all about it.”

Grayson’s classmates and Sunday school class at Summit Nazarene Church have been very supportive, nearly overwhelming him with get-well cards and gifts, including a travel pillow signed my his class at Summit which he took into the operating room with him. “We were overwhelmed with people’s love and concern and interest,” Mrs. Conley said.

Grayson isn’t the only child in the are with microtia.

Makayla Fraley, 7, of Greenup also was born without an ear. Her mother, Jeanne Fraley, said they knew about Grayson when he was born — a year before Makayla was born — so they were somewhat aware of the process Grayson is going through.

Mrs. Fraley said Makayla, a rising second-grader at Russell Primary School, has been eager to have the surgery. They are awaiting word as to when her surgery will be and expect to travel to California for the first surgery in the next two months.

“She’s very excited,” Mrs. Fraley said. “She asked us to have it done.”

Mrs. Fraley said the microtia has made Makayla self-conscious, especially when other children ask her about it. However, she has plans to make the process of getting an ear even more positive.

“She wants to write a book about her experience,” Mrs. Fraley said.

Once home, Mrs. Conley said Grayson was eager to share his experiences with the church, too, and get in front of the congregation — with her help — to tell about the surgery.

“I am thankful and feel very blessed that Grayson has a deformity that can be fixed,” Mrs. Conley said. “He is an amazing little boy who is so excited to begin this process.”

LEE WARD can be reached at lward@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2661.