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ST. GEORGE — Katie Whicker, 17, always wanted what every little girl dreams of — to be able to dress up and put on a pair of glittery earrings. For Katie, though, that dream never came.
Katie was born with a rare condition called Treacher Collins Syndrome.
"Katie has no ears — she has no ear canals either", her dad Glenn Whicker said.
"With five sisters, she grew up always wanting to wear earrings, but couldn't," her mom said.
Now Katie's dream is a reality, thanks to Utah medical artist Paul Tanner. A unique, life-like set of ears - modeled after actress Emma Watson of Harry Potter fame - was created by Tanner at his prosthetics lab at the Hunstman Cancer Institute.