I’ve seen enough beauty mags in my day to know what to expect. Ads ads ads ads table of contents ads ads fashion do’s/dont’s ads ads interviews with beautiful people ads ads reviews of products ads ads a fashion spread or two ads ads serious story about something that actually matters ads ads and some 7 this or that love your life lose the weight blah blah at the end.
Is it too much to ask that the stories about real issues that affect women, communities, and personal health get a little more attention? These are the stories that open our eyes and hopefully get us to take action and appreciate the selfless work done by others. For instance, I work with a plastic surgeon in Columbia, Maryland who has gone on several missions to help repair birth defects and traumatic injuries for children in the developing world. He’s certainly not unique in his efforts – thousands of surgeons are engaged with humanitarian organizations around the world, but his contribution is extremely important regardless.
He’s worked with organizations including Interplast and Hospital de la Familia, traveling to such remote places such as Nuevo Progreso, Guatemala and Guanajuato, Mexico to provide care for dozens of children with congenital abnormalities such as cleft lip and cleft palate, as well as children who are burn victims. He’s got a few pictures on his Web site (http://www.columbiaaesthetic.com/index.cfm/PageID/1129) and I’d encourage you to visit to see for yourself the amazing work plastic surgeons are able to perform.
In general, plastic surgeons perform a lot of reconstructive work. While the popular emphasis may be on liposuction or breast enhancement surgery, the reality is that they still perform well over 5 million reconstructive procedures each year just in the United States. These procedures help people live their lives with increased comfort and health.
But you don’t need to be a plastic surgeon in Columbia, Maryland to make a huge difference to the less fortunate out there. Even in these tight times, do what you can to help out people in your community.
