Ancient childrensa国际传媒檚 bones are the typical subjects of scans at Hugo Cardososa国际传媒檚 lab. Five-year-old girls, who are very much alive, are not.

In October, the archeology department at Simon Fraser University welcomed Nelsonsa国际传媒檚 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 Shulmansa国际传媒檚 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, SFUsa国际传媒檚 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 Cardososa国际传媒檚 lab is the only facility in B.C. to own the type of scanner needed to build Zillahsa国际传媒檚 ear, and he was happy to help.

sa国际传媒淚 didnsa国际传媒檛 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?sa国际传媒�

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 Childrensa国际传媒檚 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 Zillahsa国际传媒檚 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. Hesa国际传媒檚 noticed shesa国际传媒檚 already thought of ways to defend herself if that happens.

sa国际传媒淎 child has so many things in regards to development and learning about social things that we didnsa国际传媒檛 want anything else to to make that more complex than it already is.sa国际传媒�

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 Childrensa国际传媒檚 Hospital and covered by the Medical Services Plan for children 15 and younger.

But surgeons wonsa国际传媒檛 perform on children until they are about 10 years old, and the Shulmans donsa国际传媒檛 want Zillah to wait another five years for the procedure.

The family opted instead for a surgery that isnsa国际传媒檛 available in Canada. Dr. Sheryl Lewin, a plastic surgeon in California, uses 3D scans of patientsa国际传媒檚 ears to create a nearly identical replacement for the side that is underdeveloped.

The procedure is expensive sa国际传媒� the Shulmans say it and related travel expenses will cost approximately $100,000 sa国际传媒� but doesnsa国际传媒檛 require any cartilage taken from Zillahsa国际传媒檚 ribs. It wonsa国际传媒檛 fix her hearing, but the ear is made bigger than it should be at Zillahsa国际传媒檚 age so she can grow into it and wonsa国际传媒檛 need any replacements.

But first Lewin needed scans of Zillahsa国际传媒檚 ear. That led to a call with Cardoso, who uses the same handheld Artec Space Spider scanner that Lewin has.

When Zillah visited SFUsa国际传媒檚 Juvenile Osteology Group lab on Oct. 16, she sat in Mileniasa国际传媒檚 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.

sa国际传媒淣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 shesa国际传媒檚 been doing with me, but that has a real visible and tangible and immediate impact on peoplesa国际传媒檚 lives,sa国际传媒� 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 Lewinsa国际传媒檚 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.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 this massive hurdle that wesa国际传媒檝e been watching on the horizon for years and years and years,sa国际传媒� said Barak. sa国际传媒淎nd now itsa国际传媒檚 around the corner and wesa国际传媒檙e about to take it and then put it behind us.sa国际传媒�

Theysa国际传媒檒l also follow through on a promise made to Zillah for something she asked for but wasnsa国际传媒檛 possible without the surgery.

Shesa国际传媒檒l get her first set of earrings.

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