Ukraine: The Long Journey to Freedom
By Dr. Juris Bunkis
Honorary Consul, Republic of Latvia in Southern California
Orange County Plastic Surgery, Corona del Mar/Newport Beach
Last weekend, I had the privilege of addressing the Ukrainian community of Los Angeles at a celebration of the 35th anniversary of Ukraine’s renewed independence. As Honorary Consul of Latvia in Southern California, I was especially honored to be invited, because Latvians and Ukrainians share a history that gives us a special understanding of one another.
The speech was, as these things usually are, very warmly received—but what struck me most was how many similarities there are between our two countries. Both Latvia and Ukraine declared independence following the First World War, only to lose that freedom to Soviet occupation. Both suffered decades of repression and attempts to suppress our languages, cultures and national identities. And both regained their independence as Soviet communism collapsed in the early 1990s.
But independence is more than a declaration on a piece of paper. It is an ongoing process of building a country that is secure, democratic and free to determine its own future.
That is what Ukrainians are fighting for today.
These tomatoes were set aside for the food bank.
Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 has brought enormous suffering—lives lost, families separated, homes and cities destroyed. Yet the Ukrainian people have demonstrated extraordinary courage and resilience. They are not simply defending territory. They are defending their right to decide for themselves what kind of country they want to be and where they belong in the world.
For Latvia, Ukraine’s struggle is deeply personal.
We remember what Russian occupation meant to our own parents and grandparents. We understand that freedom cannot be taken for granted, particularly when you live next door to a powerful and historically aggressive neighbor.
Latvia has therefore stood firmly with Ukraine, providing military, humanitarian and civilian assistance and participating in international efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s defense.
Ultimately, I hope Ukraine’s journey will lead where its people clearly want it to go: firmly into the community of free European nations. Membership in the European Union and, when the conditions are met, NATO would be the crowning achievement of Ukraine’s long struggle—a powerful foundation for a secure, independent and democratic future.
Ukraine has already transformed itself enormously over the past 35 years. The journey is not yet over.
But nations, like people, can discover strength they did not know they possessed.
May Ukraine continue that transformation—and may the day come when its people can enjoy the freedom, security and peace for which they have sacrificed so much.
Slava Ukraini!
Transformation: Becoming the Best Version of Yourself
By Dr. Deborah Ekstrom
Orange County Plastic Surgery, Corona del Mar/Newport Beach
This Week's Plastic Surgery Quiz
Which of the following is the most realistic goal of modern aesthetic plastic surgery?
Transformation is at the heart of what we do in plastic surgery.
Most people who come to see me are not looking to become someone else. They want to look more like themselves—perhaps a little younger, more refreshed, more proportionate or more confident.
Facial rejuvenation is a good example. A microfat grafting procedure, facelift, neck lift, eyelid surgery or other carefully selected procedures can take away some of the years that have accumulated on the face. The goal is not to make a 60-year-old look 25. It is to help someone look like a healthier, more rested and more youthful version of the person they see in the mirror.
The same principle applies to the body.
After pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight changes and aging, a woman’s body may look very different from the way it did before she had children. A Mommy Makeover—which may combine a tummy tuck, breast surgery and liposuction—can restore proportions and contours that pregnancy and time have changed.
Men can experience a similar transformation. A man who has gained weight, lost muscle tone or simply allowed his physique to slip may find that body contouring gives him a meaningful jump-start. Liposuction, abdominoplasty or other procedures can remove stubborn areas of excess tissue and create a more athletic contour. But surgery is only part of the equation. Exercise, good nutrition and commitment are what maintain the result.
Breast augmentation, breast reduction, breast lifting and body contouring can likewise change proportions and restore confidence when physical changes have left someone feeling uncomfortable with their appearance.
But there is an important distinction between transformation and reinvention.
Plastic surgery does not stop aging. It does not replace exercise or healthy nutrition. It cannot guarantee happiness or confidence, and it cannot create perfection. And it should never be viewed as a substitute for addressing the emotional reasons someone may be unhappy with themselves.
The best transformations are usually the most natural ones—the ones where friends notice that you look rested, healthy or terrific, but cannot quite figure out why.
Ultimately, plastic surgery is not about becoming someone else.
It is about helping people reclaim a version of themselves they recognize—and sometimes giving them the confidence to take better care of that person going forward.
That, to me, is the most rewarding kind of transformation.
Female in her early 60’s presented with the typical amount of facial and neck laxity for her age but, given her history of sun exposure, much deeper facial lines than average. She is shown here two weeks following a full deep plane facelift, a lower eyelid blepharoplasty, a chin augmentation and a full face resurfacing with a combination of deeper phenol peel around her mouth and eyes (where the lines were deeper) and a fractional laser resurfacing of the rest of the face. Procedure performed by Dr. Juris Bunkis or Orange County Plastic Surgery in Corona del Mar, Newport Beach’s most experienced facelift surgeon.
As we age, facial tissues sag and our normal, youthful subcutaneous tissue (i.e. fat) atrophies. This patient was not in a position to undergo a more complex and costly procedure to tighten her facial features with a facelift. Before and “after” photos of a 65-year-old female who underwent an endoscopic brow lift and a fat transfer to the face to restore the amount of youthful fatty tissue around her eyes, temples, root of the nose, cheeks, Marionette lines and lips.
She is thrilled with her rejuvenated new look! She is shown here before and after a microfat grafting procedure performed by the Queen of Microfat Grafting in Newport Beach, Dr. Deborah Ekstrom of Orange County Plastic Surgery.
Interested in transformation but still looking like yourself? CLICK HERE to set up an appointment with Dr. Ekstrom to explore your options.
This 35-year-old mother of three children, who did not want any more children, sought consultation with Dr. Deborah Ekstrom of Orange County Plastic Surgery in Corona del Mar/Newport Beach with regards to her deflated breasts, abdominal laxity and umbilical hernia. She is shown here before and after a Mommy Makeover performed by Dr. Ekstrom by inserting 350 cc Mentor high profile, cohesive gel implants, a tummy tuck and an umbilical hernia repair. This procedure restored her pre pregnancy body and her confidence.
Orange County Plastic Surgery at CosmetiCare
1101 Bayside Drive, Suite 200
Corona del Mar, CA 92625
Take the elevator to the second floor (Suite 200) and check in with the front desk for your consultation or follow-up.
Free Parking Available.
