Category: Fashion

Giving Hope to Special Children

Cosmetic surgeons face a lot of criticism in todays society. They are accused of perpetuating the notion the perfection isnt nearly perfect enough and that there is always room for improvement. These notions add undo stress to modern societys teen and young adults as they pressure themselves and reject their own bodies in the never ending pursuit of the perfect body and face.

However, people who are quick to criticize have a narrow view of what cosmetic surgeons offer the public. While most people visit cosmetic surgeons to adjust their body or face toward a more aesthetically pleasing manner, a great number of people visit cosmetic surgeons to correct serious issues that literally prevent them from having a fair shot in life.

People with significant disfigurements are less likely to truly find ultimate success simply because they are judged unfairly. Facial disfigurements are the most difficult to overcome. People without disfigurements are quick to judge those who have them, and it can be a very cruel world. Often an unreasonable assumption is made that a disfigurement is the equivalent of low intelligence. It can be remarkably difficult for people with facial disfigurements to advance in careers or even be eligible for promotions. As wrong as society is ready to admit this unfair treatment may be, there certainly isnt much being done to correct the situation and few education programs reaching out to young people to change the thought paradigm over time.

Children with facial disfigurements are hit especially hard. Their peers can be brutally honest, and even when there is no mal-intent the harsh understanding of being different is ever present. Children with facial disfigurements tend to develop of safe world inside their own minds, one where everybody looks like them or there is a magic fairy who is able to fix the problem with a simple wave of her magic wand. In all their fantasy, children with facial disfigurements tend to forget that they are not to blame for the situation and can often feel as though they caused the problem through a bad behavior even if they were born with the disfigurement.

Disfigurements occur in children either through disease, accident, or birth defect. To a child, the source of the disfigurement is completely inconsequential. The results are paramount, however. They can have such devastating effects on a childs life that seven out of ten children with disfigurements have either wished for death or contemplated suicide.

Unfortunately, not all children with disfigurements can benefit from reconstructive cosmetic surgery. The nature of the disfigurement and the surrounding tissue all play a huge role in how reconstructive cosmetic surgery may or may not help a child inflicted with disfigurement. The fact that children are still growing can offset the chances of receiving cosmetic surgical assistance.

Children with facial disfigurements due to an accident are more likely to be able to be helped through reconstructive cosmetic surgery. Facial wounds are one of the easiest disfigurements to correct. Wounds from dog bites, car accidents, and even burns often stand a good chance of either significantly reducing or eliminating the disfigurement altogether. Children who have had to have facial bones removed due to disease can often be helped, although they tend to require more than just reconstructive cosmetic surgery.

In the past ten years medical advancements in cosmetic reconstructive surgery have increased the fields ability to help more children afflicted with a wider variety of facial disfigurements. Moderate to severe burns were once untouchable, and while cosmetic reconstructive surgery still can not fix a great amount of the effects of burns there is hope for facial burns below the eyes.

Finding Reconstructive Surgical Help

With the known devastating effects of facial disfigurement in children, it would be reasonable to believe that insurance companies would willingly pay for the procedures that can help alleviate the facial disfigurements in children. This notion is unfortunately a fallacy. Most insurance companies consider the vast majority of these procedures to be an elective procedure and cover very little if any of the cost.

Families are then faced with very difficult financial decisions. Naturally any parent wants to wipe away the agony and suffering of their child. Finding the necessary resources to pay for such procedures can be insurmountable, especially in families where other medical expenses were incurred either to treat a disease or accident related expenses.

Considering that cosmetic surgeons are typically paid up front and in cash or check form there would be more compassion on the surgeons end to fix these children free of charge when the insurance wont cover it and there are no resources to offset the cost. Again, reconstructive cosmetic surgeons find themselves under fire for their decisions to charge these families for their services.

It should be understood that many reconstructive cosmetic surgeons actually do quite a bit of pro bono work for children with facial disfigurements. They receive very little press for doing so but will receive ample press should they choose to turn a child away.

Regardless of popular opinion and personal thoughts about the cosmetic surgery industry, it is unreasonable to hold anyone accountable for not doing their job for free as often as someone else deems appropriate. There are a frighteningly large amount of children needing free or low cost help. A single surgeon could accept enough pro bono work to keep him busy for a year and he would barely make a dent in the problem. It is unreasonable for the public to decide how much anyone performs their job for free. We dont demand that construction workers fix our roads for free, even when they have fixed the same road three times. We can not demand different from cosmetic surgeons just because not everyone agrees with their line of work.

When a cosmetic surgeon agrees to pro bono cosmetic surgery, they are not only agreeing that they will give up their fee. They are agreeing that anyone involved with the surgery will give up their right to be paid. This includes anesthesiologists, operating room nurses, and sometimes recovery nurses. Depending on the procedure, this may require another specialist to perform a specialty surgery for free as well.

Pro bono cosmetic surgery is an amazing gift. And that is exactly what it is, a gift. Often a procedure may require more than just one surgery, and the surgeon and his team are committed to continue treatment for free. Complications may require an emergency surgical procedure, and once again the cosmetic surgery is performed pro bono. There are numerous factors that play into a surgeons willingness to perform pro bono cosmetic surgery. It would be fair to receive all the information prior to deciding that this vanity profession is only out to serve itself.

Donation Funds for Children with Facial Disfigurements

Nobody likes to ask for money because they cant afford to take care of their childs needs. However, in situations where the cost is prohibitive but the benefit is life changing, it is a gift to the general public to be able to help positively effect a life. Most people will willingly give their spare change, checks, cash, and even services to help change the life of a child with a facial disfigurement.

Creating a fund for children with facial disfigurements and actively participating in fundraisers can make a significant difference in attaining the assistance needed to correct the problem. While surgeons are hesitant to do pro bono work, they are more willing to make compromises with payment plans and reduced fees to allow families the benefit of reconstructive cosmetic surgery for a reasonable cost.

These special funds are easy to create and any bank teller can help set one up. Most convenience stores and pharmacies and other establishments will allow charity cans to be placed in a highly visible locations. Contacting a fundraising specialist can put a family on the right path to discover the ease of obtaining at least one quarter of the funds needed, which makes a surgeon more likely to put a child on the schedule to fix a facial disfigurement.

Nobody wants to see a child suffer with the complications from a facial disfigurement. There is hope out there and a surprising number of resources to help guide a family in the right direction in finding the help that is appropriate for them. The very formation of the cosmetic surgical industry was designed to help people who looked different attain a more suitable look. The cosmetic surgery industry has not lost touch with its roots.

For help in finding a surgeon, understanding various surgical procedures, or to learn more about cosmetic surgery, visit lifeplasticsurgery. Here you will find ample resources regardless of your reason for choosing plastic surgery. Cosmetic surgery is a complicated field whether you are looking to enhance an already beautiful face, restore the body, or help a child with a facial disfigurement. Learning all you can about the basic first steps is a critical and worthwhile endeavor.