'Body Parts': Ari Stojsik has got 18 surgeries since age 11 to cover up her Microtia
Dr Allison Vest, an anaplastologist in the medical field, loves doing what she does in the restoration business. We can be sure to witness her stellar art and science skills in TLC's 'Body Parts'.
Vest shows off her innate skills on this medical transformational show to help give people the sheer confidence to be comfortable in their own skin - something we'll get to see for ourselves on the reality show. Vest's clients have usually lost an important part of their anatomy, be it by an unfortunate accident, disease, or birth defects.
One particular patient that Vest works with on the premiere episode, is looking for prosthetic ear options. The young client, Ari Stojsik, was born with a condition called Microtia, a congenital deformity of the outer ear. The condition stops the ear from developing at a certain stage. Ari started with medical procedures when she was 11 and has gone through a total of 18 surgeries to take care of the issue but to no avail. Having said that, the ear is difficult to recreate surgically, and sometimes, the end result is unsatisfactory for patients. What is Dr Vest's take on this?
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Who is Ari Stojsik?
The 21-year-old Ari is a resident of Michigan and the daughter of Bryan Stojsik and Donna Mendiola. She has three siblings - Ethan, Alyvia, and Haley. Ari's a military child, and much of her childhood experiences revolved around constantly traveling around the world. Along with her siblings, she was raised with military values and discipline and has also changed schools from time to time.
From her Facebook page, we know that she's a big fan of football, being an ardent fan follower of the Detroit Lions, Michigan Wolverines, and Michigan Football. We saw her tearful mama Donna being stunned with the final result of Ari's ear cover-up in the preview clip of 'Body Parts'; this goes to show how supporting a parent she is. Unfortunately, that's not the case with her dad. From her TikTok page, Ari has posted a video with the caption, "When they think I'll put up with disrespect but I cut my own dad off for mistreating me".
@arianavi.30 pick a side 👀 #TakeTheDayOffChallenge #BenefitOfBrows #fyp #daddyissues ♬ original sound - Monaleo
While her relationship with her father isn't ideal, that hasn't meant this young woman has ever settled for less. In fact, she's in a happy and committed relationship with her boyfriend of 3 years, Tate Travis. The two met at a football game in their Freshman year of high school.
Ari seems to have a good sense of humor too; most of her content on TikTok is based on hilarious skits, acting out overly dramatic scenarios. What's more, her TikTok bio reads, "that Asian girl w one ear".
She also has her own YouTube channel, where she posts videos of her singing.
While Dr Vest's work is a mix of both artistry and medicine, you'll see her sculpting something or the other, be it new noses, ears, hands, and just about any other body part to restore her clients' appearance and their sense of well-being to the best of her capability. Stay tuned to see her magnificent creations; all of which look stunningly real.
In Ari’s case, as someone who's had Microtia since birth, Vest notices that she is able to cover her congenital blip a lot easier than Jay Jaszkowski, another one of Vest's clients who is seeking out a prosthetic nose, as he is ready to wave goodbye to the single life. That being said, wait till you see Ari's mother's reaction, and keep that box of tissues ready for the waterworks.
"In my practice, I have found that it is not unusual for mothers to be just as emotional as the patient. The cause of microtia can quite often be idiopathic, or we will never know what caused it. This simple explanation doesn’t change the condition, but I hope it might relieve any mother’s guilt," Vest told Monsters and Critics in an exclusive interview.
What's more, the doctor likes to refer to her office as "a mad scientist’s laboratory" - how rightly said! The office has fingers strewn on one table, eyes, and ears on the other, among many other prosthetics. "You never really know what you’re going to find in an anaplastology practice," Vest says in the promo video with the biggest smile.
In one particular scene, you'll notice Dr Vest looking through a folder of possible prosthetic ear options along with Ari, who exclaims, "They don’t look like prosthetics at all!" When she asks the 21-year-old, "And you are surprised?", Stojsik, who looked seemingly surprised, says, "No!" Stojsik is one of the four people, all of whom have extreme cases, featured in the preview, looking for the medical expert's expertise in the matter.
Stay tuned to watch 'Body Parts', as it premieres on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, at 10 pm ET/PT on TLC