This week, Dr. Lieberman and Dr. Parikh are volunteering with @hugsfoundationinc in Guatemala! HUGS stands for Help Us Give Smiles. Doctors on HUGS missions correct cleft lips and palates, microtia, and other congenital facial deformities.
Throughout the week, the foundation will be changing the lives of more than 100 kids, performing free reconstructive surgery that would otherwise be out of reach for these special patients, both geographically and economically.
Microtia is a birth defect in which the external ear is small and not formed properly. Surgery to correct microtia is very complex, and it’s performed much less commonly than cleft lip or palate surgery. It takes many hours and specialized techniques to create a new ear structure – using the patient’s own tissue – that is both healthy and looks realistic.
Drs. L&P are excited to apply the surgical and artistic skills they’ve honed in their aesthetic practice to help microtia patients look and feel “normal” for the first time!
Dr. Lieberman is very close to HUGS, and Dr. Parikh – who’s active in other medical mission organizations – is thrilled to join him this year. They’ve made service and volunteerism a priority since the start of the practice. While they care just as deeply for their aesthetic patients as their charity patients, they are constantly aware of their privilege. They are grateful and humbled every day.
