Nathaniel Newman is taller than he looks in photographs. He likes to keep his hair long, and he displays all of the adventurous energy that comes with being a seven year-old. He enjoys running around the offices at the Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery, and as has been coming to the IRPS since the first week of his life, he is as popular as anyone else there.

Nathaniel was born with Treacher-Collins Syndrome (TCS) and has been a patient of the IRPS since hours after his birth. (Read “Nathaniel Part I” for more information.) When you first see him, it may come naturally to feel sorry for him and his family – living with something like this can surely be a burden. But this feeling washes away as soon as you spend time with him. With the help of his family and the people at the NFFR and IRPS, Nathaniel has made several strides over the last few years, getting closer and closer to answering the problems that once threatened his life. Everyone who knows him lights up when he comes around, because to look at him is to see bravery, hope, and innocence all wrapped up into one.

A few weeks ago, Nathaniel and his family were in New York City to visit the IRPS for a Bone Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA^tm) implant. He was born without ears and relies on a hearing aid which, until recently, has been held to his head with a soft band. This procedure that will leave a small, titanium button protruding from behind his ear to which a hearing device will be attached. The BAHA implant will eliminate the need for the band, and his newly attached device will greatly improve his ability to hear. The hearing aid even comes with bluetooth^tm, so instead of struggling with normal telephones, he will be able to hear conversation on his personal headset.

Like most of us, Nathaniel doesn’t like to stay at the hospital. He and his family stay at the NFFR apartment while they are in town, across the street from the NYU Medical Center. At such a young age, he has already dealt with problems that rivals that of most adults, doing it all with a smile so warm that it could melt even the coldest of hearts.

Earlier this summer, the Newmans were invited to Las Vegas to celebrate with Garth Brooks’ Teammates for Kids Foundation, an organization which “exists to develop and implement innovative concepts that generate funds for the benefit of children’s charities.”[1] This was the second time that the Newmans had attended this yearly event, this time through direct request of Teammates for Kids. When they returned home, they brought back with them a special surprise – donation check from the foundation to the NFFR. On behalf of everyone at the NFFR and IRPS, we would like to thank Garth Brooks, his family, the Teammates for Kids Foundation for their donation.

And special thank you goes to Nathaniel. Simply by being a kid, taking joy in the small things, and living life as normal, he is a living testament to the importance of groups like the NFFR and IRPS.

[1] http://www.teammatesforkids.com/

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