A little girl who was relentlessly bullied over her protruding ears has undergone cosmetic surgery to have them pinned back.
Bella Harrington, an 11-year-old from Virginia, underwent the procedure in December, opening up about her reasons to ABC’s WRIC in a heart-wrenching interview.
‘They would always point it out, but then the more people pointed it out is when I wanted to change it,’ she said. ‘I thought that they stuck out way too much.’
Making a change: An 11-year-old from Virginia has undergone plastic surgery on her ears after years of bullying
Sweet smile: Little Bella Harrington suffered teasing over her protruding ears by other kids
Life-changing: Bella underwent the procedure, called an otoplasty, back in December
The little girl grew up extremely self-conscious of her appearance and eventually found herself the target of cruel taunts such as ‘elf ears.’
After years of teasing and heartbreak for Bella, her mother Sabrina was convinced that surgery was a worthy investment for her daughter’s happiness.
The family went to Dr. Joe Niamtu, a plastic surgeon practicing in Midlothian, who proudly shared the story of Bella’s otoplasty on Facebook.
‘It was my honor to help this beautiful young lady to escape the effect of peer bullying from her protruding ears,’ he wrote.
Positive results: The procedure involves the cutting of the cartilage in the ear to re-shape the folds and set the ears closer to the head
Growing up: Bella’s mother Sabrina (left) took her for the procedure after seeing the affect the bullying had on her child
Working hard: Dr. Joe Niamtu, a plastic surgeon practicing in Midlothian, performed the procedure, saying that it is an ‘honor’ to help kids feel more comfortable with their looks
‘Even small facial deformities can produce very negative psychological consequences in childhood that can lead to a lifetime of low self-esteem and negative body image. My biggest reward.’
The procedure itself involves cutting the cartilage of the ear, re-shaping the ear folds and setting the ears closer to the head. It generally lasts 90 minutes and is undertaken under general anesthetic.
The doctor went on to explain to WRIC that such procedures are far from uncommon among children, with children as young has four getting such work down before they even attend school.
Around five per cent of children are born with protruding ears like Bella’s and many parents opt to get them surgery early on.
Teary-eyed: Bella becomes weepy as she talks about the teasing she experienced over her ears
Mother’s love: Sabrina said that she wishes she had thought of getting Bella the surgery earlier
A big change: Bella has said that she is ‘so happy’ with the results of her surgery and no longer focuses on others looking at her ears
Dr Niamtu claimed that such early procedures are done to protect the child from bullying that could be prevented.
‘The reason is bullying or peer pressure,’ he said. ‘It’s been shown to psychologically to have the ability to affect their self-esteem or body image for the rest of their life.’
Sabrina sees Bella’s surgery as ‘no different than getting braces,’ and claims she wishes she had looked into getting the procedure for her daughter sooner.
‘If it’s going to make you feel better about yourself, so be it,’ she said.
Two months after the surgery, Bella and her mother are both over-the-moon with the results, with Bella, happily wearing her hair up, saying she is ‘so happy’.