As a child, it can be very difficult to deal with constant teasing from classmates. Bullying can leave you with serious psychological scars that you can carry with you into adulthood.
Gage Berger, a sweet, obedient and thoughtful little boy, suffered every day at school because his classmates teased him about his ears. Gage was born with ears that were a little more protruding than average. At first glance, the elf-like ears were a bit odd, but their appearance was far from outrageous.
However, the child’s classmates made fun of him every day for this insignificant physical anomaly. Gage frequently went home from school in a state of exhaustion, to the point where he didn’t feel like going out in public. Gage’s parents feared that his classmates’ seemingly innocent pranks would completely destroy his self-confidence, so they decided to consult a plastic surgeon.
To remedy the problem, Gage underwent what had become a routine operation. As much as Gage had been attacked for his protruding ears, the parents had received just as much negative criticism for taking a 7-year-old child to a plastic surgeon.
Outsiders could not understand why a small child should be subjected to such procedures. But the parents, despite all the negative criticism, thought they had made a very good decision. Gage is now much happier, more balanced, more willing to go to school and play with other children.
“Gage was my first minor patient so far. His parents came to me to do something about his protruding ears, as he was constantly being bullied at school. Children can be very cruel to each other and once a nickname is attached to someone, it often stays with them for the rest of their lives,” said plastic surgeon Dr Steven Mobley.