A Michigan mom-of-three was left stunned after receiving a call from her daughter’s school informing her about the unusual results of a recent medical test.
Presley John from Howell, took to her TikTok, @presleymichelle, to share the story of what happened when she got a call from a technician at the Department of Health and Human Services informing her that Everly, 8, had “failed her hearing test on the right side and needed an audiology referral.”
“The call caught me completely off guard,” John told Newsweek. With good reason.
Everly is currently in the second grade. “She loves art, music, crafting, animals, and all things Squishmallow,” John said. “She is the most loving, kind, and wonderfully weird kid, and we are incredibly proud to be her parents.”
There’s something else that is important to understand about Everly in the context of that phone call. Everly was born with Microtia, a congenital condition in which a baby is born with an underdeveloped outer ear. It can range from a slightly small ear to the complete absence of the external ear. Hearing can be reduced, depending on the severity of the condition, with doctors categorizing it into four distinct grades.
Grade 1, where the ear is small but most structures are still present, Grade 2, where the ear is partially formed, often with a closed or narrow canal, Grade 3, where only a small remnant of tissue exists in place of a fully formed ear and Grade 4, where there is a complete absence of any external ear.
“We did not know prior to birth that Everly had microtia, although my sister was also born with it,” John said. “When Everly was born, her dad saw her before I did. The doctor noticed her ear and became visibly concerned, saying he thought there was blood. I immediately panicked, fearing something serious. My husband calmly explained that we knew what it was, and that her aunt also has it.”
Everly has Grade 1 microtia on her left ear and Grade 3 on her right, meaning she is “about 50 percent deaf” according to John. At eight months old, Everly was given a bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA) which she wears on a headband.
It transmits sound vibrations through her skull to her inner ear, allowing her to hear in the process. Eventually, Everly will undergo implantation surgery.
For most of her life, Everly has never been all that bothered about her microtia. However, John has seen that change over the past year.
“It began to sink in that she doesn’t have a ‘normal ear like other kids,’” John said. “There were tears and moments of frustration over things many of us never think about. Like wearing sunglasses, being in loud environments, or swimming without worry.”
Thankfully, despite these struggles, Everly has also learned to embrace her differences. “Through therapy, family support, and her own resilience, Everly is doing much better,” John said. “She recently got her ears pierced for her eighth birthday and has expressed interest in a prosthetic ear, which is something we plan to pursue.”
Given everything they have been through, and the fact that Everly’s condition has been well documented since her birth and starting school, John admits the call telling her that her daughter had failed a hearing test in her right ear caught her “completely off guard.”
She knew exactly how to handle it though. “After politely explaining that she is already followed by audiology and ENT, I hung up and couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it,” John said.
John then went one step further by creating the TikTok video explaining what had happened and “finding humor in the situation.” The video went viral, amassing over 500,000 views.
“It resonated with thousands of parents who shared similar stories of their children’s disabilities being overlooked during school or DHS screenings,” John said. She felt what happened also highlighted a broader issue about “overworked, underpaid, and exhausted system where teachers, social workers, parents, and kids are all stretched thin.”
“I hope this brings attention to how overworked and under-resourced our education and public health systems are, and how children can sometimes fall through the cracks because of it.”
John has been delighted by the response and the way the video has touched so many. But if there is one thing she hopes others take away from her family’s story it’s that “disabilities do not define people.”
“Everly is not limited by microtia, and she doesn’t let it hold her back,” she said.