Events shape our lives in unexpected ways. Similarly, many events influenced Dr. Ross Blagg’s life, but one seems to have been of particular importance.
When Dr. Ross was only 9-weeks-old, he was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect that required open-heart surgery. This was obviously a scary time for his parents, but it certainly ended up shaping Dr. Ross’s life in a positive way.
For the 5 years following surgery, little Dr. Ross followed up with his Cardiologist. Fortunately, he required no further treatment, but the appointments to the doctor spawned the little guy’s interest in medicine. When he was fourteen years old, his dad’s surgeon friend offered for Ross to shadow him. Ross loved surgery. “I loved the idea that you can learn a trade and then do it anywhere in the world,” remembers Dr. Ross. He was an artistic kid, so when he learned about plastic surgery’s fusion of art and surgery, he was a bit obsessed.
But Dr. Ross had many passions, and he wanted to explore them to the maximum. He loved the ocean and the life that existed beneath its bluish surface. His first scuba dive came at just 13 years of age. His intrigue with the sea led him to pursue marine biology in college, allowing him to study in Australia, the Caribbean, and Ecuador. Ultimately, he decided he could fulfill his love of the ocean through his hobbies and philanthropies.
Even during training, Dr. Ross wanted to help others. During his surgical residency, he founded Humanitarian Plastic Surgery, an organization dedicated to coordinating surgeries for people in developing countries who couldn’t afford them. He also traveled to Haiti and Guatemala for surgical missions.
Currently, Dr. Ross has several different ventures. One such is his company, DocFormula, in which he has created a supplement for quicker recovery after surgery. “The After Surgery Supplement,” is available here at the company’s website. He also has recently begun a project, “Plastic Surgery Road Trip”, airing on YouTube, in which he finds amazing people across the US that need plastic surgery to complete their journeys.
Being a congenital heart defect survivor, Ross has a message for the parents of kids who are going through the same ordeal. “I think it’s important for kids with congenital heart defects and their parents to know that I was born with that and am now living a full life exactly as I wanted it. So, stay strong; good days are coming!” Follow PSRT on YouTube, and follow the daily adventures of Dr. Ross on Instagram: @dr.rossblagg.
