There’s no doubt that plastic surgery done well can be life changing. Just ask Samantha Daniels. Samantha is a girl who has had the life-changing experience of getting plastic surgery to correct a minor deformity.
In her case it was her ears. Unlike our last story, Samantha did not lose an ear. Instead, she was born with ears that did not lie close against her head. They seemed to be at a bit on angle: outward. This made her appear to have much bigger ears than she actually has. You can imagine how this would be a problem for a little girl. Kids can be mean. She got bullied a lot in school. You can easily imagine how quickly kids can come up with taunts and mean words for any other child who does not look the same way. This is difficult to endure.
While Samantha’s problem was mostly cosmetic, there were also physical problems. For example, she couldn’t wear a bike helmet—it hurt. Both of the physical and emotional effects were taking a toll on her as she dealt with them over the years. In fact, over time, Samantha’s parents began to notice that she became withdrawn. Her personality was shifting as she became quieter and less outgoing. Many of us have seen how a child’s taunts can be quite hurtful to the child on the receiving end. It’s painful to endure and also painful to watch.
They wanted to help her any way they could. Of course her parents tried contacting the school to resolve the bullying. But it didn’t help. They also realized that there were other options that could help her. This issue could be corrected surgically. (Otoplasty is the name of the surgery to pin the ears back into a more natural position.) However, they did not want to make the decision on her behalf. As such, Samantha’s parents started out by simply discussing the possibility with her. They gave her information so that she could think about it.
After many more months of teasing, she decided it was what she wanted. It was time. She asked her parents to go ahead with the surgery. Samantha’s plastic surgeon felt the same way as her parents—he wanted to know it was her choice. When he first met her, he asked her to explain in her own words why she was there. He agreed to perform the ear-pinning procedure because Samantha herself said it was what she wanted. This gave him the confidence that the choice was being made by her, not just her parents. The plastic surgeon was able to create a look where Samantha’s ears appear to be normally placed instead of protruding outward.
Everyone was pleased with the results. Samantha even said she felt beautiful when she saw the results. She feels better about herself and less anxious. All around, it sounds like a good result. Samantha is happy with the results—which is of course what matters. Plastic surgery can be life changing indeed.