Kids getting cosmetic surgery to stop bullying

RICHMOND, Va.  — There are programs to stop bullying across the country, but some kids are going under the knife to get cosmetic surgery in hopes of stopping the teasing.

“They were teasing her over it. One thing they said she had elf ears,” said Sabrina Harrington, a mom from Virginia.

Her daughter Bella Harrington, 11, said, “They would always like point it out, but then the more people pointed it out is when I wanted to change it. I thought that they stuck out way too much.”

Sabrina Harrington said, “When she was a baby that one ear stuck out a lot. She started saying that they were being mean saying different things. We kept telling her it’s OK. They don’t matter, it doesn’t matter what they think, and it did to her. As a mom, how did that sit in your heart? I imagine that was very tough. It was. ”

So the Harringtons made an appointment with a cosmetic surgeon.

Bella Harrington is not alone. Dr. Joe Niamtu said about five percent of the population has protruding ears. He said many of his younger patients are getting pediatric cosmetic surgery.

According to Dr. Niamtu, when it comes to correcting an issue that’s prompting bullying, the younger the patient, the better.

“We like to treat these children before the enter school, so it’s not uncommon that I’m doing four or five-year-olds. And the reason is bullying, or peer pressure. It’s been shown to psychologically to have the ability to affect their self-esteem or body image for the rest of their life,” said Dr. Niamtu.

Experts say it’s not a decision to be made lightly. The Harringtons waited several years before Bella came to Dr. Niamtu. Her surgery was in December.

Sabrina Harrington said, “It’s no different than getting braces — that changes your appearance. If it’s going to make you feel better about yourself, so be it. ”

Although it’s now been two months, talking about the teasing and bullying still brings tears.

Bella Harrington said, “When people would ask if I would like to go swimming in the summer, I’d be scared they’d show.”

But her big reveal says it all.

Bella Harrington said, “I was so happy.”

“This is a very motivated recovery. These are the happiest patients in the world,” said Dr. Niamtu.

Bella Harrington even said she feels like it changed her life.

Sabrina Harrington said, “If anything, I wouldn’t have waited as long and had her suffer as long. I’d have looked into it sooner.”