I think its all well intended. I just hope these kids find themselves.
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Bullied 12-year-old boy gets free reconstructive surgery
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I think its all well intended. I just hope these kids find themselves.
What's up with bullies and ears these days? Such weirdos.
Dammit! Can't unsee that.I just realized the first pic he totally looks like the Alfred E Newman.
Air Zombie Meat
Member
I guess I just don't see the harm. Like you said, it's like getting braces. No one thinks thats ridiculous or excessive. It's good that you were able to overcome bullying in that way but not everyone manages to. Even if the bullying stopped the insecurity might have stayed.
I do get what you're saying but my view is more to do with the kids confidence and happiness. If that's improved as a result of this, then it's a good thing.
You got a source for that or are you just trying to be funny?
thats all I want, is the kid to be happy. I'm sure it will help his confidence, but that confidence is based on outside perceptions of him. If he wasn't bullied, he wouldn't be doing this at 12 years old.
we both know the kids that bullied him, aren't going to stop. The ears aren't the problem, its his response to the bullying.
The harm is him & his parents buckling to pressure from bullies. Its sad.
ALOT of kids don't do surgery specifically in response to getting bullied.
Parents fault then. Should of had his ears pinned when he was 6-7.
CornBurrito
Member
At least he had a choice in regards to this surgery.
What does this word actually mean?
Do you shave?
Zoe
Member
How is that comparable to this at all?
John Rabbit
Banned
in grade school i would of made fun of a kid of who had plastic surgery on his goofy ears more than a kid who had goofy ears.
just sayin'.
just sayin'.
ColonelColon
Member
I just realized the first pic he totally looks like the Alfred E Newman.
So you're saying that he looks like a caricature, but you also think that it was wrong for him to get surgery? Why should he need to live with being mocked like that?
TheContact
Member
let him be how he is. bullies are gonna change him and make it seem that appearances matter? this story is stupid, and there's no "feel good" mood about it
You know what it means and you know it wasn't used as an insult to anyone, give it a break.
Robot Pants
Member
Give the bullies full facial reconstructive surgery.
melichrous
Member
Someone in my class had this done back in primary school, and his ears weren't even that bad. To be honest, stuff like this generally makes the person look more strange when they've fully matured.
I'm not too sure what to think of this. I mean, if it helps the kid out, then fine. But I really don't think that anyone should be getting reconstructive surgery before they're classified as an adult wherever they're from. Period. (Unless of course it is 100% necessary to fix something that's life-threatening or some medical condition or something.)
Edit:
Yeah, this happened to the aforementioned. I think even at 11 or however old, he lost a lost of respect from everyone else for actually doing that.
I'm not too sure what to think of this. I mean, if it helps the kid out, then fine. But I really don't think that anyone should be getting reconstructive surgery before they're classified as an adult wherever they're from. Period. (Unless of course it is 100% necessary to fix something that's life-threatening or some medical condition or something.)
Edit:
Yeah, this happened to the aforementioned. I think even at 11 or however old, he lost a lost of respect from everyone else for actually doing that.
I was bullied for being short, and for also having big ears from the ages of 9-13.
Eventually, I got to high school, and the teasing stopped. Not because I looked different, but because the environment in my HS was different.
I did grow into my looks, however. I'm still short (but much taller than I was back then, of course), and my ears aren't big at all. So I guess my head got bigger? Oh dear.
Anyway, I'm not a fan of this kind of thing, because it just reinforces, even subconsciously, that something was wrong with the kid. That he was in need of correction, because he wasn't "normal." This upsets me. He was fine the way he was, and also 12. Everyone looks a bit awkward at that stage. At least give him to age 20 or so (which is around the time I really started coming into my features; losing all of the baby fat on the cheeks, getting proper facial hair, etc).
And bullies are bullies. Nothing deters them when they have their sights on you. Eventually, they'll lose interest, or you'll finally stand up for yourself, and they'll back off when they see that you are done with their shit.
Life was hell for me during those ages from 9-13. Bullies were unbelievably cruel, but I had a great support system with my family, who encouraged me, looked out for me, and most importantly, made me understand that I wasn't the problem, the douchebag bullies were. I didn't need to change. They did.
Eventually, I got to high school, and the teasing stopped. Not because I looked different, but because the environment in my HS was different.
I did grow into my looks, however. I'm still short (but much taller than I was back then, of course), and my ears aren't big at all. So I guess my head got bigger? Oh dear.
Anyway, I'm not a fan of this kind of thing, because it just reinforces, even subconsciously, that something was wrong with the kid. That he was in need of correction, because he wasn't "normal." This upsets me. He was fine the way he was, and also 12. Everyone looks a bit awkward at that stage. At least give him to age 20 or so (which is around the time I really started coming into my features; losing all of the baby fat on the cheeks, getting proper facial hair, etc).
And bullies are bullies. Nothing deters them when they have their sights on you. Eventually, they'll lose interest, or you'll finally stand up for yourself, and they'll back off when they see that you are done with their shit.
Life was hell for me during those ages from 9-13. Bullies were unbelievably cruel, but I had a great support system with my family, who encouraged me, looked out for me, and most importantly, made me understand that I wasn't the problem, the douchebag bullies were. I didn't need to change. They did.
Roland Garros
Banned
Pathetic.
And I think people underestimate the way in which this would improve his life. I know a girl who had the same procedure and the change in her personality was remarkable. She all of a sudden became a much happier, bubblier person with a lot more confidence.
Half and half
Member
I understand where this kid is coming from. As kids, me and some friends teased the hell out of this one kid for having ears that stuck out. He was an ass, but I think we went way overboard. He ended up getting his ears pinned back like this. We stopped teasing him b/c we realized how much it bothered him. I still feel a little rotten about it.
Anyways, kids are cruel.
Anyways, kids are cruel.
Exactly.
It's easy to sit behind a monitor, pretend to know what life is like for this kid and say "I was bullied in school for my ears/nose/face/body and I made it through just fine, it didn't bother me." Well, that fact is that you don't represent everybody. Some people can take it, and others just can't. One statement I don't understand at all is, "Well now we're teaching this kid (and kids all around the country) that the only way to be accepted is to change who you are so you "fit in" and he'll likely go to a surgeon again if he has any other physical issues instead of dealing with them."
Uh, based on what evidence exactly? Is there a major peer-reviewed study out there that shows that kids who get plastic surgery feel worse about themselves afterwards and have some sort of negative view of what is and is not beautiful in life? Sorry GAF, but I honestly feel like some of you are making a mountain out of a mole-hill here. The kid looks happy, which really is all that should matter at the end of the day. Making blind accusations about what this surgery is "teaching this kid" doesn't mean much. For all we know this kid is completely content with himself now and will never look back.
My view on this is the same for all cosmetic plastic surgery; if it makes the person genuinely happier and enjoy their life more without negatively affecting their overall health (and in cases like this, if the parents are okay with it), then go for it.
T
Transhuman
Unconfirmed Member
Because he could have looked like this:
..and if he's being picked on, it's because the other kids don't like him, or have nothing in common. They're not going to suddenly go "wow, you sure look different now. Guess we can't exclude you anymore".
Yeah, this kid is clearly Quasimodo.
I had monsterously huge ears up through high school. Got teased, bullied, beat up for it - was almost suicidal throughout part of middle school, but held it all in.
I begged my parents to have the surgery senior year of high school. After surgery - confidence increased ten-fold, although I maintained social anxiety issues from the years of teasing.
Best decision in my life, and I'm thankful I have loving parents who paid for the surgery.
I begged my parents to have the surgery senior year of high school. After surgery - confidence increased ten-fold, although I maintained social anxiety issues from the years of teasing.
Best decision in my life, and I'm thankful I have loving parents who paid for the surgery.
http://www.ocregister.com/news/kaleb-369869-surgery-children.html
What a pathetic world we live in. They aren't even that damned bad.. he isn't done growing. the pussification continues, and it legitimizes the bullies claims. They are just going to find something else to pick on him about. He is beautiful the way he is.
^^ guess this is after..?
Why did they make him a girl too? Seems like it might exacerbate the bullying.
NSFW audio - George Carlin - on fixing up Ugly Women 45s.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMfA6YUhQP8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMfA6YUhQP8
Roland Garros
Banned
What do girls looks like where you live? Because girls don't look like that over here?
He looks great now. People need to stop being arseholes.
blame space
Banned
i'm happy for him. he looks happy. stop focusing on the bullies.
Air Zombie Meat
Member
Bubububut you didn't learn an important lesson.
Glad to hear it worked out for you and hopefully this will shut up all the ignorant folk talking out the sides of their neck in this thread.
WorriedCitizen
Member
My cousin got this done aswell when he was a kid. I believe it's a standard procedure for kids with produding ears in my country before they reach school age.
Don't really understand why thers a discussion about it here. It's a birth defect in most cases. Would you be against surgery of harelips aswell?
Don't really understand why thers a discussion about it here. It's a birth defect in most cases. Would you be against surgery of harelips aswell?
get the fuck out.
chaostrophy
Member
Free martial arts training for the bullied kids would be more constructive.
She grew up to be Devon Aoki.
YesNOnoNOYes
Member
He looked fine before the procedure to me. Ah well. I hope at least he gets less harassed now.
On another note, this reminds me of my friend's daughter. She's Thai, and her birth name is is Pornthip. The family moved to Australia and here she gets teased daily for her name, cuz teenagers think the word "Porn" is hilar, or something.
So the parents relented and moved her to a brand new school and now she's called Sally on the student's registry. I feel a bit sad that Sally now regards her actual name 'dirty' or unpreferrable, but idk, she seems happier now and has more friends.
I guess it's okay that her family can afford moving her across schools, but I can only imagine the horribleness that most kids have to go through. Specially those without support and resources available to them.
On another note, this reminds me of my friend's daughter. She's Thai, and her birth name is is Pornthip. The family moved to Australia and here she gets teased daily for her name, cuz teenagers think the word "Porn" is hilar, or something.
So the parents relented and moved her to a brand new school and now she's called Sally on the student's registry. I feel a bit sad that Sally now regards her actual name 'dirty' or unpreferrable, but idk, she seems happier now and has more friends.
I guess it's okay that her family can afford moving her across schools, but I can only imagine the horribleness that most kids have to go through. Specially those without support and resources available to them.
Zoe
Member
It's not permanent. It promotes better hygiene. It's non-invasive. Etc etc etc
Being permanent is irrelevant. @hygiene: there are health benefits to shaving? This procedure is hardly invasive and it's also irrelevant anyways.
People who have cosmetic surgery done are no worse than the rest of us that constantly work on our appearances. This kid took a little control of his life and will likely lead a happier life as a result. Why is that a bad thing?
He would probably had done it when he was adult anyway. If you feel better about yourself with reconstructive surgery then go for i
black_vegeta
Member
Yes, I'd much rather walk through the playground with my head held tall, knowing that I have the moral high ground as I'm pelted with stones and dragged through the dirt by my ears.
I was watching a little bit of "Dr. Drew's Lifechangers", and they had a boy on the show with the same problem and they did the same to him.
They were saying why bullying is wrong and all that stuff, but I still found it weird that they gave him the procedure. Part of putting up with bullying is to be comfortable with who you are, and giving in to the bullying via getting physical appearance changed is just saying, "The bullies won"... even if they stop picking on you.
I honestly don't think it's a good thing.
They were saying why bullying is wrong and all that stuff, but I still found it weird that they gave him the procedure. Part of putting up with bullying is to be comfortable with who you are, and giving in to the bullying via getting physical appearance changed is just saying, "The bullies won"... even if they stop picking on you.
I honestly don't think it's a good thing.
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