Boy born without ear gets one built from rib cartilage

A boy born without an ear has had one built using cartilage from his ribs in pioneering surgery at a London hospital.

Ethan Giles-Bowman, nine, has a rare condition that leaves babies with an underdeveloped face. It meant his right ear was no more than a small fleshy lobe which he hid by growing his hair long.

Ethan has now become one of the first children in Britain to undergo the complex surgery, at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead in September.

His mother Kathryn, 33, from Sheffield, said: "He was quite an outgoing child until about four and then he became aware about his appearance and it affected his confidence. When he was seven he started to grow his hair, but now he's got his new ear he wants to show it off and has had his hair cut shorter again. He's looking forward to being able to wear sunglasses this summer. They won't slip off now."

Surgeon Greg O'Toole said: "We see children who are initially introverted, who will not go swimming, who are socially quite distressed. But they have the surgery and they are absolutely changed. We can see that in Ethan - he is loving life and full of confidence."