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?