Seven-year-old Samantha Shaw underwent plastic surgery to avoid schoolyard bullying.
Her mom, Cami Roselles, wanted to protect her daughter from playground taunting, so she had the first grader go under the knife to pin back her ears. The South Dakota girl was featured Thursday on “Good Morning America.”
Thanks to the Little Baby Face Foundation, Samantha who is in Grade 1, had her ears done free of charge. Dr. Steven Pearlman told GMA that children with abnormalities could face terrible treatment from other kids He said he doesn’t endorse minor cosmetic surgery to avoid bullying but said that having ears pinned back isn’t cosmetic surgery. It’s something more serious, he said.
“In my book and [that of] most of the medical community, the plastic surgery community, ears that stick out is not a cosmetic issue,” Dr. Pearlman said.
The saddest part is, the kids weren’t the ones who were picking on Samantha. Her mother Cami Roselles told ABC that adults were the ones making the cruel comments!
Although Samantha underwent surgery, her mother said she hadn’t actually been bullied. Roselles was concerned that she would be, judging by critical comments that adults had made in front of her.
Isn’t it sad that bullying is so prevalent in our schools that kids are having to resort to surgery to prevent bullying?
Is plastic surgery a solution? What do you think?
7 Comments
This makes me so angry. How is this teaching a girl to love herself. This is teaching their daughter she is not good enough. Plastic surgery for kids can be acceptable in very few situations, not because a child may potentially be bullied at some point in the future. The best way to protect children from bullies is to teach them self esteem. They are perfect just as they are. Not even getting into medical risks , it is surgery after all, what else is this girl going to change about herself as she ages to please everyone else.
Personally, I think her before picture is just beautiful!
I’m a little torn..I think that if her ears were causing her to be bullied and that was creating huge problems with her self-esteem thus resulting in her not participating in activities or missing out on social events, then maybe it’s ok..but it’s also a weird message to send..it kind of tells the bullies they were right! “You WERE a Freak, you needed plastic surgery to be normal!” Will this child always want to change what she feels is “wrong” with her or will she learn that she can’t let what other people say or think define who she is? ..not sure..
I don’t think its a problem when we are talking about having ears pinned back. This isn’t a nose job, or breast augmentation. I went to school with a couple of people who had this done, it is actually quite common. Yes every child is perfect just the way they are and yes bullying is very very wrong but in my opinion people getting on their soap box telling a family the decision they made for their child is wrong is another form of bullying. Should we stop going to the orthodontist?? When my stepson chipped his tooth playing hockey and it was fixed for purely cosmetic reasons was that wrong? When my daughter wants to go clothes shopping for a pretty dress shouldl I tell her she doesn’t need it she is already beautiful??? The pendulum is swinging too far. We aren’t talking about abusive behaviour, this isn’t ritual genital mutilation and quite frankly we need to stop worrying about what everyone else is doing. My Mom always told me when I am perfect I can start judging what everyone else is doing.
Hi agree with seeJillrun 100%. This is a VERY common procedure and it is right up there with braces, clothes, make-up, ANYTHING to make ourselves “feel better”. It’s a fairly simple procedure and not one that she will likely regret when she gets older. I’m not really seeing what the big deal is. If my child had ears like this (which is VERY likely considering his grandma and great grandma did, I’d wait till they could be part of the decision making process and allow them to have input on it. I’m sure by 7, if she’s already being bullied or picked on, she would have been ready and able to help make this decision.
This isn’t a procedure I have an issue with. But like we talked about on your FB page, M… other things, I absolutely object to. Implants on young girls, cosmetic enhancements like veneers in children… there’s a fine line, yes. But pinning ears, correcting crooked teeth… these are not things I have a concern with.
But I also colour my hair, wear makeup and appreciate “pretty” clothes… all things that may be sending a message that I’m focussed on the outward appearance, right? Wrong. I teach my kids the message behind the looks.
THAT is what matters.
Okay, I get seeJillrun’s point. She’s right that we shouldn’t really judge what families decide for their kids and that we all do things that improve our appearance. My only gripe about this is that it was a preventative measure for bullying. I understand that it is a serious and dangerous issue for kids but like Lei said, there are better ways to protect kids from bullying. It may not be easier but it certainly will help the kids deal with other aspects of their life, not just bullying.
Personally, I don’t think Shaw’s ears before were that bad. Certainly not nearly as bad as a cleft lip or something. I don’t think she needed the surgery so much.
seeJillrun: Your examples have nothing at all to do with the point of this story. When your stepson chipped his tooth, you were fixing what was broken. Broken teeth can cause problems down the line, anyway, so getting it repaired was the right and obvious thing to do. As far as buying your daughter a pretty dress, it’s YOUR job as her parent to help her feel beautiful, no matter what she is wearing. I am disgusted by this woman who had her daughter’s ears pinned back even though she hadn’t been bullied. If her daughter wasn’t self-conscious about her ears, then her mother of all people shouldn’t have been, either.