'Body Parts': Allison leaves Ian 'speechless with respect' over prosthetic eye
Allison Vest may claim that she stumbled upon her career, but it is clear as day that being an anaplastologist was her calling. On TLC's new show, 'Body Parts', Allison helps change and transform lives, one prosthetic at a time. As per the series synopsis -- "Anaplastologist Allison Vest creates amazing, lifelike prosthetics for patients who have missing or deformed body parts. Taking on unique and extreme cases, Allison melds medicine and artistry to help her patients both functionally and psychologically."
From ears to limbs, Allison has seen and worked on it all. But when Allison met Ian for the first time, she was shocked to find out that he had been wearing the same prosthetic since 1979 -- the year she was born!
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For Ian, his journey with his prosthetic has been a long one. Originally from Johannesburg and having settled in Dallas, Ian explained that he was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 13. This affected his eye, which had to be removed entirely, seeing that there was no advanced treatment back when it happened. Around the time he was 18, he finally got a prosthetic eye that has been with him ever since.
Having gotten it fitted in 1979, he's been using the prosthetic for over 40 years. For Ian, the process of wearing the prosthetic is something that he finds arduous. However, he has never let his family see him without tinted glasses or a black patch, as he doesn't want them to have to look at it. Now, as Ian has become a grandfather, he is worried that his grandchild will associate him with his glasses and wants to be able to be free of them for his family's sake.
Going into Allison's office, Ian told her that he wanted a prosthetic that didn't come with the hassle of glue, like the way the previous one did. Allison was impressed by the fact that the old one held out for this long but was all set to give him a much-deserved update. After taking the mould and working on the prosthetic, it was finally the delivery day. After years of living with his old prosthetic, Ian noted that 'maybe it was his time' for a better one. When it came down to the reveal, Ian was at a loss of words. He was quick to hug Allison, thanking her for the phenomenal job that she had done.
Even his wife, Kathi, got emotional looking at the final outcome. Ian noted that he was 'speechless with respect' for what Allison and given him and felt as though this was the first day of the rest of his life.
Catch Season 1 of 'Body Parts' on TLC on Wednesdays at 10 pm ET/PT.