Today at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS), the organization announced the launch of their new humanitarian effort named "Faces of Honor," a program that will offer free surgical care for soldiers who have been injured in the line of duty.
Consistent with this theme of acknowledging our veterans who have contributed so selflessly to keep our country free, the AAFPRS meeting's esteemed guest speaker will be Bob Woodruff, the internationally-renowned journalist who was injured in a roadside bomb that struck his vehicle in Iraq. Mr. Woodruff will present a lecture, titled "Injuries of War. In an Instant," which he will deliver on Thursday, October 1st at 11:30 am PT at the meeting.
It is estimated that 20% of survivable injuries suffered in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts involve the face and neck. "We designed 'Faces of Honor' to show our unwavering support for those who protect America and other countries against terrorism threats. Our sons, daughters, husbands and wives are fighting selflessly on this front, and they have inspired us to take action," said AAFPRS President, Donn Chatham, MD. "Through 'Faces of Honor,' the AAFPRS will offer the expertise and compassion of our surgeon members to these brave men and women of our military. It is the least we could do."
The project was developed last year when Dr. Chatham suggested the AAFPRS recruit volunteer facial plastic surgeons to offer their knowledge and services to injured war veterans. "Most of us personally know soldiers and families, even relatives, who have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and we understand the personal sacrifice is high," said Dr. Chatham.
The idea of offering help to these veterans struck a deep chord among AAFPRS surgeons and the groundwork was laid to begin the "Faces of Honor" program. A new web site link has been developed and materials are available for volunteer AAFPRS doctors at www.facesofhonor.org.