In Australia about 3.6 million people have some level of hearing loss. Noise exposure is one of the biggest causes of preventable hearing loss. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have a much higher rate of ear disease than other children, which can result in hearing loss.

As Australia’s population ages, we expect the number of people with a hearing impairment to double to an estimated 7.8 million people in 2060 according to Government estimates.

Microtia and atresia is a rare congenital condition affecting one in every 10,000 births and where one or both ears are missing or when the outer ear has not fully developed. 10 year old Sebastian was born with right side Microtia Atresia and in 2019 had ear reconstruction surgery.