War is never an easy subject to write about, but it is a reality. Although it can be easy to focus on the heartbreaking aspects of a conflict or disaster, we must also recognize the moments that highlight our humanity, even in the most tragic circumstances. When bad things happen, some people unselfishly step up to the plate to help others when it matters most.
Dr. Jose Barrera is no stranger to using his gifts to help others in need. While he spends most of his time providing facial plastic surgery, reconstructive surgery, and sleep treatments from his practice in San Antonio, TX, many of Dr. Barrera’s patients do not know that he is also heavily involved in humanitarian work around the world.
Having provided facial reconstructions to patients in Rwanda, Peru, Haiti, Chile, Dominican Republic, and Afghanistan, Dr. Barrera is doing his part to change the world, one face at a time.
COURAGE IN THE FACE OF HOSTILITY
Dr. Barrera has served in the United States Air Force for over 30 years. In 2010, he was deployed to Afghanistan to serve our country while his wife, Dena, remained home with his two children and a third on the way. Despite being stationed in a hostile environment that exposed him to active combat, Dr. Barrera courageously used his training to help soldiers, citizens, and children in the area with facial disfigurements, cleft lip and palate, and combat-related issues.
In one instance, Dr. Barrera performed an orbital reconstruction to remove a 12-year-old boy’s eye tumor. Incredibly, the boy’s father, who was a high-ranking Afghan official, showed his appreciation by handing over two tons of explosives and multiple caches of weapons.