Brave burns survivor Sophie Delezio has one more thing in her life to smile about – a brand new ear.
The 13-year-old has suffered her fair share of tragedy but her wish of being able to wear earrings has finally come true with a flawless match created for her by a team of some of the world’s best doctors.
Sophie was two-years-old when she lost her right ear, as well as both feet and the fingers of her right hand, after suffering third-degree burns to 85 per cent of her body when a car crashed into her Sydney childcare centre in 2003. She was also injured three years later when she was hit by car on a pedestrian crossing.
Sophie’s new ear was made by US prosthetist Dr David Trainer after her Sydney surgeon Dr Peter Hayward and prosthetist Dr James Fisher drilled metal abutments into her skull to hold the magnets that attach it. She suffered several infections but was determined to go ahead with the surgery.
The custom-made ear matches her skin tone and, of course, has a hole in the lobe.
“My ear is new but it’s also part of the real me,” Sophie tells Woman’s Day exclusively. “And I love that.”
“I love it, and I wear it every day… but the best thing is I’m able to have pierced ears. That’s something I’ve wanted for a long, long time – I’ve been asking Mum since I was about eight!”
One of the best gifts Sophie says she’s received is a priceless pair of pearl and diamond drop earrings from Sophia Loren.
“I was about 6, and she put me on her lap and hugged me and kept calling me ‘Sophia’. She was very kind and really nice… She took her earrings off and put them in my hand, and said they were her favourites but she wanted me to have them,” Sophie says.
“She told me to wear them on my first date!”
Sophie’s mum Carolyn says she had said no to pierced ears for as long as she could.
“But Sophie’s so determined to be one of the girls, when she turned 12 we were suddenly Googling ‘ears’, meeting with specialists and trying to work out how to get her one.”
Help other families like the Delezios at dayofdifference.org.au
Read more about Sophie exclusively in this week’s Woman’s Day, on sale June 23, 2014.
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