'Body Parts': Jay Jaszkowski thanks Allison Vest for making him feel like 'a real person'

For Jay, who felt like an outcast after losing his nose, gaining a prosthetic one helped him feel whole again

UPDATED APR 7, 2022

For Allison Vest, changing lives is a part of her regular job, as seen in TLC's 'Body Parts'. As per the synopsis of the series -- "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 prosthetic noses to nipples, there is little that Allison and her team cannot craft. Episode 1 of 'Body Parts' saw her help Jay Jaszkowski regain his confidence back through a simple yet vital prosthetic.

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For Jay, losing his nose to cancer changed his life forever. Jay was an outgoing person who had a lot of friends before he was diagnosed with cancer. He had initially visited the doctor for an ear infection and pointed out that he had also been dealing with nosebleeds at the time. As a result, the doctor put him on steroids and antibiotics to deal with the infection. But the situation only spiralled until Jay ultimately lost his nose to cancer. While he can still breathe normally, having his nose missing from his face has truly affected his self-confidence.

Jay opened up about how the past year was both 'scary' and 'difficult'. For him, it was embarrassing to go out in his current state as people often stared at him, causing him to feel like a 'freak'. He also noted that he would like to date again as he has been dealing with loneliness, but not having a nose certainly makes this harder.

As he sat down with Vest, he showed her photos of his appearance before he lost his nose. He joked that he had a pretty standard polish nose and hoped that she could help him get his life back. Allison had him try out a few prothetic samples she already had to take the required measurements to craft Jay a new nose. He seemed apprehensive through the process, and so was Allison, as she was curious about his reaction to the final outcome.

When it was finally the delivery day, Jay went back to the clinic to try out his new prosthetic. After Allison gave him the required instructions, she fitted his new nose onto his face. The moment Jay laid eyes on it, he got extremely emotional. He noted that he now felt 'like a real person' and not like a 'outcast'. Jay was overwhelmed with how his prothetic turned out, and Allison was happy to be able to help yet another patient.

Catch Season 1 of 'Body Parts' on TLC on Wednesdays at 10 pm ET/PT.