Most surgeons raise money for charity at dinners and galas. Dr. Andrew Jacono has also done it at altitude. The New York facial plastic surgeon has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Cotopaxi in Ecuador, and Mount Elbrus in Russia as part of fundraising campaigns.
The climbs serve two purposes. They draw public attention to his causes, and they bring in money to cover the logistical costs of surgical missions abroad.
Where the Money Goes
Those missions are a core part of his humanitarian record. Dr. Andrew Jacono has provided surgery to more than 750 children in developing regions, working with Healing the Children, the HUGS (Help Us Give Smiles) Foundation, and THAI Children. He generally leads two trips a year to countries including Colombia, Ecuador, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The children he treats have conditions such as cleft lip and palate, microtia, facial tumors, and burn scars. Some struggle to eat or breathe properly. Many also face exclusion at home, since visible facial differences can keep a child out of school.
The fundraising climbs also support survivors of domestic violence. Through the FACE TO FACE project of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, where he is senior advisor, he has performed free facial reconstructions for more than 100 survivors.
A Long Record of Giving
The mountains are one piece of a broader pattern. For nine years he chaired ABOUT FACE: MAKING CHANGES, an annual benefit for domestic violence survivors. The Center for the Women of New York honored him with a “Good Guy” Award in 2006, and U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy commended him in the Congressional Record.
Behind all of it is a belief that technical skill in cosmetic surgery creates an obligation to help people who cannot pay. He maintains a Park Avenue practice whose patients include celebrities. The summit photos are a reminder that his work reaches people far from that office, and that he is willing to go to unusual lengths to fund it. See related link for more information.
Learn more about Dr. Andrew Jacono on https://ritzherald.com/dr-andrew-jaconos-path-to-becoming-a-leading-facial-plastic-surgeon/