Corrective Ear-Pinning Surgery for Bullied Kids

Growing up we were taught to love ourselves simply the way we were made. But with the severity of bullying nowadays, this seems to change. For those young kids who have been struck with physical deformities and relentlessly been making fun of, cosmetic surgery becomes a new solution. The Little Baby Face Foundation (LBFF) makes it possible for these children to live a life that is free from teasing and taunting.

Nadia Ilse is a 14 year old girl from Georgia who had been bullied since she was a kid due to her awkward ears. What she had were a pair that seemingly grew out of proportion relative to her face. This led her to be nicknamed as “Dumbo” or “elephant ears” by her classmates.

To Nadia, all those teasing were so hurtful that it led her to shy away from socializing with people. She even begged her mom to get her an otoplasty (a corrective ear-pinning surgery) when she was ten. Unfortunately due to the hefty price tag her mom was not able to afford her this surgery, seeing the pain and trauma that her daughter is also going through.

I believe that every mother’s who is thinking of getting ears pinned back for their children could benefit from reading: Stop the Teasing! Otoplasty Surgery in Children

Fortunately after searching on the internet, her mom found out about Little Baby Face Foundation (LBFF). It is a non-profit organization founded by Dr. Thomas Romo III and Lauralouise Duffy-Blatt back in 2002. It aims to transform the lives of young children who are battling the emotional trauma caused by physical deformities through free cosmetic surgery. And since its founding, they have helped over 150 children across America.

When Nadia’s application was granted, she and her mother were flown to New York to have the surgery that she needed with Dr. Romo III. On consultation, the surgeon saw that aside from correcting the protrusion of the ears, Nadia also needed some improvement done on her nose. And to balance it out, he also deemed it fit to create some changes to her chin.

So overall she was to undergo three cosmetic surgeries, an otoplasty, a reduction rhinoplasty and a mentoplasty. The total cost of this procedure was around $40,000, and Nadia luckily got it all for free.

The surgery went without a hitch, and today, in an interview with CNN Nadia dons better confidence with the way that her face has improved. The four hour operation has helped her to end all those years of bullying, and feel better about herself.

The surgeries gave her a more symmetrical look, and even correct a deviated septum and improve which allowed her to breathe more properly. It also gave her a more defined jawline.

The results were indeed amazing, given that they were made possible by experienced surgeons and industry professionals. According to their website, they organize their surgeries to make sure that the invasiveness is minimized.

Since some children require multiple procedures, the surgeons at the foundation would also come up with a plan to make it possible for these to be done in one session. This is to cut back on the number of times that the child has to be hospitalized.

After 72 hours after her surgery, Nadia went back to the clinic to have her bandages removed. Although she is still a bit swollen, she is already happy with what she sees.

Cosmetic surgery has indeed changed her life, and it made her able to fit in and not constantly singled out by taunts and names due to her unique appearance. This opportunity has indeed given these children a better quality of life, considering the emotional scars that bullying creates.

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