Plastic Surgery Gives 6-Year-Old Boy Fresh Start
Nearly every week brings fresh examples of the good that a plastic surgeon can do and the great benefit that plastic surgery brings to the world.
Recently six-year-old Jasper Damiano underwent reconstructive surgery on his left ear. Prior to the surgery Jasper, an enthusiastic magician, had real problems getting hats, glasses and goggles to sit properly on his head which caused him a great deal of frustration.
Jasper was born with his left ear growing out and down and as he got older it worsened continuing to grow down. While his parents did everything to ensure that Jasper felt like every other child it soon began to frustrate him and they went in search of a solution.
Their medical insurance wouldn’t cover the procedure to have the ear pinned back and they struggled to get a price estimate from a plastic surgeon as the surgery is so expensive. After about a year and a half the family came across the Fresh Start Surgical Gifts program which would allow Jasper to undergo the surgery for free.
In February 2016 Jasper finally had the surgery at the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital. Each year the hospital provides free reconstructive surgeries for three children that were born with physical deformities. The hospital works together with the Fresh Start Caring for Kids Foundation, which is a collaboration of Fresh Start Surgical Gifts and the Plastic Surgery Foundation, in order to carry out the surgeries.
While immediately after the surgery Jasper was heavily bandaged in order to keep the ear in place, once they came off the benefits were immediately obvious and Jasper was soon back playing with his twin sister and younger brother.
The parents home-school their children which has protected Jasper from being taunted by other children. However, it was a real concern for his parents and they were eager to avoid having to subject Jasper to other children who may not be particularly understanding. As a result they are hugely grateful to the Fresh Start Surgical Gifts program as Jasper will now be able to mix with other children without the feat of being teased.
Jasper said that he wasn’t nervous about the surgery and his father said that the hospital ensured that the experience was as enjoyable as possible for him in order to avoid and pre-surgery worries.
His mother said that she was surprised at how much of a difference the surgery made to Jasper’s appearance. He keeps asking people if they want to see his ear and the family is now looking forward to taking him to swimming lessons where his goggles will be able to stay in place.