It’s true that as we age, we often lose sight of things we used to hold dear. Sure, our bodies age physically, but our minds age, as well. For some this means that our passions fall to the wayside. Perhaps as a child or teenager, we dream of traveling the world or of helping others in our trade. But many of us find ourselves living our day to day feeling unable to tap into those “childish” passions. Well, Dr. Ross Blagg is doing it all.
Dr. Blagg grew up on a farm in Arkansas and says that he was always interested in the world and in exploring. “I used to dream I was traveling abroad, living on a boat, experiencing all there is to see in the world,” says Blagg, referring to his time as a child dreaming of big explorations. “I also wanted to help others in some way,” he says. “I had open heart surgery as an infant, and so I think I always felt like I was given a second chance at life and I didn’t want to squander it. Also, since someone helped me, I just felt like it was a duty to help others.”
Well, has he explored the world and helped others? At already a young age, Dr. Blagg has accomplished these things several times over, but he’s not done yet. Since leaving the farm and heading to college, Blagg has seemingly been in constant motion. During college, he lived in Australia and Ecuador, and even learned to sail while SCUBA diving through the Caribbean on an 88-foot Schooner. His obvious love for marine biology took a backseat when he enrolled in medical school, where he pursued a passion that would allow him to express himself artistically and creatively: plastic surgery.
During residency, this humanitarian surgeon began traveling abroad to help others in need of reconstruction that couldn’t afford it and even went as far as creating Humanitarian Plastic Surgery, an organization focused on helping those in poorer countries coordinate reconstructive surgeries.
He now practices in Austin, Texas, but he hasn’t let his day-to-day limit his exploration and philanthropy. He routinely dives with sharks around the globe and still travels abroad to places like Haiti to help those in need.
When COVID-19 grounded his usual international surgical missions, you’ll not be surprised to find that he just pivoted. “I thought, well if I can’t get on a plane, I guess I’ll hop in a car,” says Blagg about his newest venture: Plastic Surgery Road Trip (PSRT). PSRT is being aired as a docu-series on YouTube and follows Dr. Blagg cross-country as he explores the US and meets people that need his help. PSRT is all the things: adventure-driven, heart-warming, and filled with plastic surgical transformations.
PSRT actually seems to embody all the things that young Ross Blagg, on a farm in Arkansas envisioned for himself. Still in his thirties, Dr. Blagg has already changed so many lives and has explored so many crevices of the globe. To watch as he continues this journey in his own country, tune into Plastic Surgery Road Trip on YouTube! And follow the daily adventures of Dr. Ross on Instagram: @dr.rossblagg.
