BRAVE youngster Tommy Leech has undergone surgery as he takes the first steps to change his life.
The 10-year-old from Coulby Newham was born without ears, Tommy pictured with his mum Lisa.
That left him with perfectly formed inner hearing ability -- but no way for the sound to get through from the outside.
Now, in the first of six operations, German surgeons have removed one of Tommy's ribs to sculpt a new and perfect 'shell-like' ear.
It was a delicate operation which will give the sparky youngster the chance to hear and look like any of his mates.
Tommy and mum Lisa were expected back on Teesside today.
The Gazette revealed in January how Tommy's family were trying to raise thousands of pounds to change the youngster's life.
A host of fundraising events were carried out to pay the £50,000 needed for the series of operations.
Local charity Cash for Kids, Barclaycard employees, Mandale, the region's National Federation of Contractors and his school pals at Hemlington Hall Primary all stepped in to help.
The surgery is a big and exciting step for the youngster whose dad Carl, pictured, a Lance Sergeant with the Coldstream Guards was killed in a car crash near Northallerton when Tommy was just a baby.
Sgt David Waters, a good friend of Tommy's dad, ran the Redcar half-marathon to raise cash.
Tommy was born with no outer ears or canals. Doctors were baffled when they found his inner ear to be 'perfect.'
The rare disorder gives the youngster 'underwater' hearing.
Mum Lisa, 32, who works at Barclaycard in Stockton, said she was overwhelmed by people's kindness.
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