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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Karen, a 48-year-old Florida mother and grandmother, had been abused verbally, emotionally and physically for most of her life. The last time, her abuser broke her nose. She also endured broken ribs and fingers, and sustained a concussion.
Unfortunately, Karen is not alone. Shockingly, in the U.S., every nine seconds a woman is beaten by her partner. More than five million women are affected by domestic violence in the US each year, and more than one million of them will require medical attention as a direct result. And three-quarters of battered women sustain injuries to their head and neck.
While there are many psychological scars from this kind of abuse, the physical ones serve as constant reminders of a past best left forgotten.
Tampa-based facial plastic surgeon and President of American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) Edward H. Farrior, MD, performed a pro bono nose surgery to help Karen breathe again and to restore her sense of self-worth in the process. The surgery was done as part of the FACE TO FACE: The Domestic Violence Project from the AAFPRS. In 1994, the AAFPRS teamed up with the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence to develop the program that so far has helped 2,500 domestic abuse survivors and counting.
“After all these years of abuse, you start to believe the hate, and that is not okay. I want to tell my story so other women know they are not alone. Someone can help and I am so grateful for all the emotional and surgical support I’ve received,” Karen says.
“Face to Face has done a great job of allowing these women to have access to reconstructive operations so they can heal and move forward,” says Farrior.
“This program helps to restore lives by restoring faces; we are helping to remove the visible and mental scars of abuse,” adds Peoria, Ill-based facial plastic surgeon Harrison C. Putman, III, MD, the chair of the Face to Face program.
Facial plastic surgeons are contacted by womens’ shelters across the country. Women must be out of the abusive relationship to participate in the Face to Face program. The facial surgery is often the final phase of the recovery and healing period.
Women in need can call the 24-hour toll free number – 1-800-842-4546.
Additional reporting by Denise Mann
Wendy Lewis is President of Wendy Lewis & Co Ltd Global Aesthetics Consultancy, author of 11 books and Founder/Editor in Chief of http://www.beautyinthebag.com
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