MEET ANASTACIA
Anastacia Tilotta is in 6th grade. She's enrolled at a middle school in Gareoult, France but while she is doing well in class, Anastacia is not like any 6th grader.
Anastacia was born in 2009 with both ears missing and her ear canal completely closed. The condition, called ”atresia microtia”, causes severe hearing loss.
She is equipped with an hearing aid and a Bluetooth microphone used by her teachers to amplify their voice. She needs to make great efforts to follow in class, particularly this year with masks that decrease the power of her teachers' voices and eliminates any possibility for her to lip-read.
Anastacia's short life has already counted numerous surgeries and endless therapy sessions.
OPERATION ANASTACIA
Two years ago, Anastacia's parents, Franck and Alexandra, learned of a revolutionary surgical procedure that rebuilds a new outer ear (the medpor method) and creates an inner canal. It is only performed by 2 very high profile pediatric surgeons, at the Palo Alto Ear Institute close to San Francisco, CA. Anastacia was identified as an excellent candidate to undergo this complex surgery that is scheduled for July 15, 2021 and includes 4 post treatment appointments in Los Angeles.
The scope of this adventure is very ambitious for Anastacia's parents and they are helped in their efforts by the Rotary Club from Brignoles a small town of about 20,000 inhabitants located in Provence between Marseille and Nice, France.
How to help Anastacia and her family
If you too are touched by this story of a courageous little girl and her parents, you can choose to:
- help sponsor her journey
- give some of your time to help welcome them during their visit on JULY 12 and 13, or later in the summer, between AUG 6 - 16.
For more detail and information, you can contact Florence MAUREL, an LFSF mom who is working in collaboration with the French association that supports Anastacia and her family.