Happy New Ears!
With all the cynicism and derision that we’ve been accustomed to hearing when the topic of cosmetic procedures comes up, I think it is important to – every once in a while – focus on the angel on the shoulder of this much maligned of surgical specialties.
Recently, a little boy received what he had been ardently wanting for so long. It wasn’t the latest “it” toy on TV or even a trip to Disneyland; what this 5-year-old child desired most was what most children are born with – ears. At birth, ten weeks early, Jorden Flowers weighed only 3 pounds, hadn’t developed ear canals or auditory nerves, and had small flaps of skin instead of ears.
Son of Olympic gold medalist bobsledder Vonetta Flowers, Jorden made his own way into the record books two years ago as the first American child to undergo auditory brain stem implant surgery. Able at last to hear his parents’ words of love and encouragement, Jorden currently is learning to speak.
His mother explains that Jorden, who is just starting kindergarten, doesn’t take his new ears for granted. Treating them like the precious gift they are, he insists on only wearing them when going out and removing them immediately upon returning home.
In a world where professionals get Botox’d on their lunch breaks and tabloids constantly conjecture on the origins of celebrity assets, when it comes to plastic surgery, perhaps bitter isn’t always better.