MANVILLE: Toddler scheduled for surgeries; fundraising game set for Saturday

By Mary Ellen Zangara Special Writer
   MANVILLE — A fundraising football game Saturday will help the family of 2-year-old Jake Whitenight, born with microtia atresia — an ear deformity — and hearing loss, make the most of some good news the family received on a recent trip to California.
   After consulting with Dr. Joseph Robertson in Palo Alto, Calif., on Jake’s condition, Jake’s mother, Lynn, said he has been scheduled for corrective surgeries next year.
   ”We got better news than we ever knew was physically possible,” Ms. Whitenight said.
   Ms. Whitenight took young Jake to California with her sister to attend the Let Them Hear Foundation conference called “Crush the Silence” Oct. 9. 2008.
   ”We went to California to see and have them tell us if he (Jake) would be a good candidate for the surgery,” she said, adding she expected to be speaking to doctors about obtaining implanted hearing aids, called Baha implants, when Jake got older.
   But she learned Jake was “an excellent candidate” for the reconstructive surgeries which will create the ear canals he doesn’t have, as well as outer ear, beginning the day after his third birthday on Aug. 5, 2009.
   ”That practically knocked me onto the floor,” Ms. Whitenight said. “We were told that where he had the smaller of the two ears that he had nothing but bony plate and there was no opening in the skull on either side for an ear canal.”
   The first surgery will create the left side ear canal, followed by surgery for the right ear in November. In February 2010, surgeons will construct an ear on the right side and he will return with two ears.
   Jake will return six months later for canal otoplasty — plastic surgery for completion of the ears.
   Afterwards, Jake is expected to hear without any hearing aids. Any further consultations can be in New Jersey with an ear nose and throat specialist who studied under Dr. Robertson.
   In the meantime, area residents are helping to help raise money to pay for the medical expenses — last week, the Bound Brook Moose Family Center presented the Whitenight family with a donation check of $2,000 at the Moose lodge.
   Also, the American Legion Post 304 in Manville is raffling a 2009 Ford Escape SUV to benefit the Jake Whitenight Fund. The tickets are $50 each and can be purchased by check payable to the American Legion 304, sent to the Whitenights. Tickets are limited to 1,000 with a first-come, first-served and the Escape will be raffled in February.
   To purchase a ticket, for the address and more information, call Ms. Whitenight at 908-334-8229.
   ”Things have changed and $50 is hard to come by, but so is a new car,” Ms. Whitenight said. “Somebody is going to walk away with this new car.”
   Saturday’s third annual Pay-to-Play Flag Football Tournament will begin at 9 a.m. at Manville High School. The game is being sponsored the Manville Reformed Church, and features games pitting teams of teachers from Manville schools. For added excitement, fans can vote their favorite teacher and the teacher playing with the most votes wins a raffle ticket for the Escape SUV.
   ”We are going to have one happy kid who is having ear reconstruction and hopefully this will be the last fundraiser,” Ms. Whitenight said. “What a great way to thank the community for all that they have done for us over the past two years.”