MUSIC TO HER EARS
Ear Tubes Help Young Dancer Restore Hearing and Pursue Her Dance Ambitions
For most young people, antibiotics relieve the symptoms of an ear infection. But for 11-year-old student and dancer Zoey German, antibiotics didn’t resolve the pain and hearing loss caused by her repeated ear infections. Last year, the infections became significantly problematic—impacting Zoey’s active lifestyle.
Zoey plays volleyball, softball, and runs track, but her biggest passion is dancing—a skill she started learning at age two. She began joining competitions by the age of four.
“I often felt off-balance at dance class, and my hearing sounded like I was underwater,” said Zoey, a sixth grader in Clovis, California. “For a long time, I danced through the pain; but eventually the pain became too much. One night in April, I woke up with my head throbbing and I started throwing up.”
Zoey’s mom took her to the emergency room, where the doctor confirmed a severe ear infection. Zoey needed to see an ear, nose and throat doctor (ENT), but she couldn’t get an appointment with a local ENT until four months later.
Zoey’s dad called their insurance to find another provider. They were referred to William Slattery MD, neurotologist (ear surgeon) at PIH Health House Clinic. Not only was Dr. Slattery highly recommended, he could see Zoey immediately.
During their April 2023 appointment, Dr. Slattery confirmed Zoey’s true diagnosis—hearing loss caused by otitis media with effusion (a thick fluid buildup behind the eardrum) in both ears.
“The quickest, most effective solution was to surgically place tympanostomy tubes (ear tubes) in Zoey’s ears to help drain fluid from the middle ear,” said Dr. Slattery. “The tubes stay in for six to 24 months, and by the time they come out, the body’s natural passageway for clearing the fluid will likely be back to normal.”
Zoey’s ear tubes were inserted in July 2023. The very next day, Zoey felt great and was thrilled to be back at dance class with normal hearing.
Today, Zoey continues to shine doing what she loves— ballet, lyrical, contemporary, and jazz dance, as well as musical theater—with hopes to someday perform on Broadway. Thanks to the experts at PIH Health, her road to stardom is clearer than ever.
For more information, please visit PIHHealth.org/HouseClinic
