Born without an ear (Day 1)
Kyle Figuray, 5, fingers his underdeveloped ear as he listens to his parents talk about his ear on the day before he has surgery to construct an ear. Kyle was born without an ear or an ear canal and is having an ear made from cartilage from his ribs. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)
Kyle Figuray, 5, climbs on his dad, Mark the day before Kyle has surgery to construct an ear, as they play together at their home in Wadsworth, Ohio. Kyle was born without an ear or an ear canal and is having an ear made from cartilage from his ribs. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)
Mark Figuray plays catch with his son Kyle 5, in the living room of their home as his wife Barbara watches them on the day before Kyle has surgery to construct an ear. Kyle was born without an ear or an ear canal and is having an ear made from cartilage from his ribs. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)
Pediatric plactric surgeon Dr. Ananth Murthy M.D. starts crafting an ear from rib cartilage from Kyle Figuray, 5 as the sugical team closes the incision at the donor site for the rib cartilage. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)
Pediatric plactric surgeon Dr. Ananth Murthy M.D. begins the task of constructing an ear from rib cartilage from Kyle Figuray, 5. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)
Pediatric plactric surgeon Dr. Ananth Murthy M.D. holds a template he made from a tracing of his patient Kyle Figuray's unaffected left ear, as a guide as he prepares to constructs an ear from rib cartilage from Figuray. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)
Pediatric plactric surgeon Dr. Ananth Murthy M.D.uses a template as he constructs an ear from rib cartilage from Kyle Figuray, 5. Dr. Murthy made the template from a tracing of Figuray's unaffected left ear. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)
Pediatric plactric surgeon Dr. Ananth Murthy M.D. compares the ear he is constructing from rib cartilage to the template he made from a tracing of his patient Kyle Figuray's unaffected left ear, as he works on shaping the ear for Figuray . (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)
Pediatric plactric surgeon Dr. Ananth Murthy M.D. sutures pieces of rib cartilage together as he constructs an ear for Kyle Figuray, 5. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)
Pediatric plactric surgeon Dr. Ananth Murthy M.D. examines his work as he constructs an ear from rib cartilage from Kyle Figuray, 5. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)
Pediatric plactric surgeon Dr. Ananth Murthy M.D., operates on his patient Kyle Figuray, 5 during reconstructive surgery. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)
Pediatric plactric surgeon Dr. Ananth Murthy M.D., operates on his patient Kyle Figuray, 5 during reconstructive surgery. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)
Pediatric plactric surgeon Dr. Ananth Murthy M.D., the director of the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Center at Akron Children's Hospital, smoothes the skin as he puts the finishing touches on the ear he constructed from rib cartilage and and implanted in his patient Kyle Figuray, 5 during reconstructive surgery. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)
Dr. Ananth Murthy M.D checks on Kyle Figuray, 5, as he bandages his ear and head after surgery. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)
Barbara Figuray comforts her son Kyle, 5 in the Recovery room after his surgery to fix his ear. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)
Doggie brigade volunteer Justin Couch and Marley Couch, a Puggle, visit Kyle Figuray, 5, who is recovering from surgery at Akron Children's Hospital. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)
