Local boy suffers from rare disorder

TOLEDO, OH --

A four-year-old Perrysburg boy who suffers from a rare genetic disorder will soon have ears.

Ty Swoap and his twin brother Drew were born at Toledo Hospital, but Ty didn't have any ears.

To the Swoap family, four-year-old Ty is completely normal.

Ty's mother Karlyn says, "He doesn't even know that he's any different."

But Ty suffers from Treacher Collins Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects the development of facial bones and tissues. He was born without ears, a nasal passage, or partial eye sockets, with very small, sunken-in cheekbones and a jaw that doesn't grow with him. He has already had 15 surgeries.

Karlyn says, "When he's 24 and finally done growing, then we will be done with surgeries."

Ty has been wearing hearing aids since he was a month old. He wears boxes on a headband since he will never have an ear canal.

Changes are on the way since he and his twin brother Drew start kindergarten next year.

"That one thing we can do to make him more normal with other kids is to give him ears. When he goes out of our little secluded Perrysburg neighborhood area, we get stares," says Karlyn.

Ty's father Jake says, "A lot of the kids ask questions, but a lot of the adults just stare at him and give him funny looks. That's the part that bothers us."

It especially bothers Ty's protective siblings.

For the family, the picture of Ty with ears will be an adjustment since they love him the way he is.

Karlyn says "When he goes to California to get his ears, that's going to look funny. To everyone else that will be ok. But to us, that's not Ty."

Thanks to a local fundraiser, Ty will be able to fly to LA in July to begin the process of getting his ears surgically built. The "Andy Burris Memorial Poker Run and Party" was held today at the Carpenters Local 1138 building in Rossford.

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