6-YEAR-OLD BOY UNDERWENT PLASTIC SURGERY AFTER BEING BULLIED RELENTLESSLY

Most parents teach their children that they’re beautiful no matter what, and no one should make them feel differently. Religious families rigorously tell their children that God created them a certain way for a reason, and expect them to be thankful, regardless of their insecurities.

This family took a more practical approach to their son being ridiculed at school. 6-year-old Gage Berger was being called “elf ears” at school, and his parents, Tim and Kallie, were worried that the constant name-calling would have a lasting impact on their young son. So, they sprung to action.

Rather than teach their son to fight or ignore the jokes, the Utah parents decided to have a plastic procedure performed on Gage, which would effectively bring his ears much closer to the sides of his head, making them more parallel than they were before.

Medical specialists have mixed reviews of the decision. In a New York Daily News report, plastic surgeon Dr. Steven J. Pearlman supported the decision, pointing out that it isn’t uncommon for children to undergo such procedures, and reiterated the parents’ fear of the negative comments having a long-lasting effect on Gage. However, a child psychologist, Dr. Karen Caraballo, combats the decision in the same NYDN report, citing the fact that instead of opting for going under the knife, there should be more of a zero-tolerance approach to the culture of bullying in schools.