Dr. Ross Blagg was surprised to see a 3-year old boy with a cleft lip during one of his surgical missions in Guatemala. He was in disbelief as there was no such kid in his home country. His mother had been to two countries before finding their organization. The boy underwent successful surgery and had his cleft repaired. His mother was over the moon, and her ecstatic reaction is something Dr. Blagg loves seeing. “I couldn’t believe he was three and still had a cleft lip. We just don’t understand in the U.S. what that mother went through to finally have that lip repaired.”
There were many such cases during Dr. Blagg’s surgical missions across the globe. He met with destitute people in many countries who don’t have access to surgical care. “These missions always confirm my decision to be a plastic surgeon,” says Dr. Blagg. “I can’t really explain how fulfilling it is to help someone that had no other options.”
However, as fate would have it, the coronavirus pandemic appeared out of the blue, and life came to a halt. International travel was terminated and that meant Dr. Blagg’s international missions too.
But Dr. Blagg, not one to take defeat, started a new project, Plastic Surgery Road Trip (PSRT) to continue his altruistic missions. “I thought, well if I can’t fly across the globe, I’m sure I can find people in the US who need help. Through this project, he was able to meet and help those people inside the US who needed plastic surgery but couldn’t afford it. An adventurer at heart, he turned the journey into a travel adventure that is airing on YouTube.
“I love getting to know my patients, and PSRT lets me do that on a deeper level. Essentially, a buddy and I get to spend a day in the life of whoever it is we’re visiting. Then, they come to Austin and I get to show them what I do. And we get a makeover! That’s one of the things I love about plastic surgery, the immediate gratification.” Dr. Blagg gets to fuse all his favorite things into one in the PSRT docuseries. Dr. Blagg still anxiously awaits his return to travel abroad for missions, as well as adventure. “I am excited to go international again, but I’m having so much fun with this road trip project that I don’t see myself stopping that once the borders do open.” Dr. Blagg’s PSRT project is a prime example of one of the pandemic’s silver-linings, and how fun that we all get to go on the journey with him! Follow along on the YouTube Plastic Surgery Road Trip channel, and follow the daily adventures of Dr. Ross on Instagram: @dr.rossblagg.
