What to Know
Watching your young child get bullied is something that no mom wants to have to encounter. Especially when it’s because of how they look. If there’s something that can be done to change it, many moms will do everything in their power to make it happen so their babies aren’t being picked on. While it’s easy to brush off bullying as something that just happens, we know there can be devastating consequences when a child is repeatedly subjected to torment. When Seren Smalley, a mom in England, learned that her five-year-old son was being bullied because of his ears, she went into action. She’s detailed the process of getting him a pinnaplasty on her TikTok.
The video is heartbreaking.
@serensmalley Same journey, new chapter, our son is on the road to recovery 🤍❤️🩹 A few years ago, we shared our daughter’s story, and now it’s our brave boy’s turn. He has just had bilateral pinnaplasty to correct ears that didn’t develop quite as they should, sticking out further than usual. For the longest time, it was never something that troubled him, until he started school. That’s when the comments began: being called “elephant” or “monkey”, having other children point and tease him. What started as thoughtless words slowly chipped away at his confidence. Just as we did for his sister, we turned to private specialist advice. We learned that this wasn’t just a cosmetic choice, his ears had not formed properly, and surgery was the right step to help him feel comfortable and confident in his own skin again. He has been so incredibly brave through every appointment, every step leading up to surgery, and now through his recovery. It reminds us once more how much weight words carry, even comments made to children as young as 6 or 7 can lead to anxiety, low self‑esteem, and years of feeling like you don’t quite fit. We share this not to judge, but to raise awareness: please choose kindness. See the child before you, not a single feature. Every child deserves to feel proud of who they are, and never feel the need to hide away 🌸 #Pinnaplasty #mentalhealth #WordsMatter #RoadToRecovery #FamilyJourney ♬ Sparks – Coldplay
In the video, Smalley’s son is shown with a bandaged head as he recovers from surgery in the hospital. The mom decorates his head bandages with stickers while he plays before showing a “bravery award” certificate.
In the post’s caption, Smalley explained that her daughter had the procedure previously, and now it was her “brave boy’s turn.” He underwent the procedure to “correct ears that didn’t develop quite as they should, sticking out further than usual.”
“For the longest time, it was never something that troubled him, until he started school,” she explained. “That’s when the comments began: being called ‘elephant’ or ‘monkey,’ having other children point and tease him. What started as thoughtless words slowly chipped away at his confidence.”
On the advice of a private specialist, the family considered the surgery. “We learned that this wasn’t just a cosmetic choice, his ears had not formed properly, and surgery was the right step to help him feel comfortable and confident in his own skin again,” she said.
In the end, she reminded people to “please choose kindness. See the child before you, not a single feature.”
Her son was genuinely excited to see the results of his pinnaplasty.
@serensmalley Same journey, beautiful new chapter 🤍 Today was the day… we removed the bandages and got to see his ears for the first time after his pinnaplasty. And oh my goodness, that smile 😭 He was grinning from ear to ear, so excited, so proud, and so relieved to finally feel like himself again. This surgery was never about changing how he looked, it was about giving back his confidence, taking away the worry, and letting him hold his head high without hiding. Words have power, but courage and kindness heal. Seeing him this happy makes every step of this journey worth it. His road to recovery continues, but today? We celebrate this brave boy’s new beginning 🤍💫 #pinnaplasty #confidence #wordshurt #familyjourney #braveboy ♬ exile – Taylor Swift
Smalley shared another video showing her son’s reaction to his surgery for the first time. She cuts the bandages off, and he can’t hide his excitement, peeking at himself in the mirror. The grin that spreads across his face as he gets a good look at himself is infectious — his mom can’t stop smiling either.
After admiring himself for a bit, Smalley then wrapped his ears in a new protective bandage. But it was clear that he was beyond pleased.
“Oh my goodness, that smile 😭,” she wrote. “He was grinning from ear to ear, so excited, so proud, and so relieved to finally feel like himself again.”
According to the mom, having the surgery “was never about changing how he looked, it was about giving back his confidence, taking away the worry, and letting him hold his head high without hiding.”
“Words have power, but courage and kindness heal. Seeing him this happy makes every step of this journey worth it.”
People praised the mom for supporting her son and letting him have the surgery.
@serensmalley When in doubt, take them! Their your children and no one can tell you it’s not aloud! Pay the fine, it’s a once in a life time in experience! #noschooltoday #schoolfine #holidayfines #thailand #termtimeholiday ♬ original sound – Seren Smalley
“Well done for choosing this and helping his future mental health,” one comment read.
“As an adult who’s spent their life with this insecurity, what you’ve done for your son is such a huge gift,” one commenter wrote.
“I don’t even think his ears were that bad before, it’s so sad when children feel the need to change their appearance especially due to bullying 😞 the best mum for not just brushing it off though and doing something about it so his childhood isn’t full of anxiety and looking back and remembering all the horrible things said to him! He was beautiful before and still beautiful now,” someone else wrote.
“Bless his heart! I had the same when I was about 8 and it’s the best feeling,” another commenter added.
Mom explained her decision to go ahead with the procedure.
@serensmalley So many of you have messaged asking exactly how we went about getting pinnaplasty for our son, from referrals to waiting lists, private vs NHS, and what to expect. 📩 This video walks through what the process really looks like. It wasn’t always straightforward, but I wanted to share it openly to help other parents who are navigating the same thing. This is about confidence, comfort, and giving our kids the chance to feel their best. I hope this saves you time, answers your questions, and gives you a little peace of mind too 🤍 If it helps someone you know, please share it, let’s help each other out. #Pinnaplasty #NHSJourney #ParentingTips #ChildHealth #FamilySupport ♬ original sound – Seren Smalley
Smalley shared a follow-up video explaining the process she had to go through to get both of her children their pinnaplasty. She explained that the NHS (National Health Service) in England doesn’t cover the procedure, so she had to go through private insurance for both of her children.
It was still a bit of a process, and she said she had to be “very persistent” to get the insurance company to approve the procedure. She also said “you just have to persevere” to get what you need.
Smalley spent a year and a half trying to get the procedure done for her son because of his age. She also explained that the procedure was more expensive for the same reasons.
In the video, she reiterated that the procedure isn’t “cosmetic,” and that her children’s ears weren’t properly formed, which caused them to stick out. The procedure was done to correct the defect and give them back their confidence.
