Why Community Matters
Local creativity is overflowing in communities as moms, dads, small business owners, nonprofit leaders and volunteers are finding new ways to communicate in this new world of social isolation. Their coping strategies and ingenuity are beyond inspiring!
We are proud to introduce you to these innovators in “Why CommunityMatters”, a series made possible by LIFEWTR.
Meet Dr. Lilian C. Azih, MD, founder of Nuvueu Cosmetic Surgery And Aesthetics Center, and mom.
With the new norm of practicing social distancing, how are you finding creative ways to connect with family and friends
As a busy plastic surgeon with a 19-month-old baby boy practicing social distancing has not been easy. I love my patients and staff and together we created an incredible working environment where we cherish working together. Humans are generally social beings and this is typically vital to our existence. With social distancing, we have had to be creative with how we satisfy that innate desire to connect and socialize with family and friends. Video chatting and talking to our family at least once a day has become our new way of life.
Can you tell us if you or any of your colleagues are doing creative things at home to find joy and inspiration
Yes, my husband and I are both busy surgeons and we have had to alter our way of life. We have more time now to spend with our 19-month-old son and play and teach him the alphabet and numbers and colors which he absolutely loves. He keeps waiting to see if we will disappear again as he is genuinely shocked to see both of us in the daytime for this long. We now frequently go on walks while keeping an appropriate distance from others and embracing all that nature has to offer. In our decades-long careers, this is the most time we have had so we are embracing this newfound reality by doing the best we can to stay positive even in the uncertainty.
If you are a parent have you found creative ways to engage kids at home?
Yes! We have taken a very active role in teaching our 19-month-old son his numbers, colors, shapes and the alphabet... he has learned five letters and two colors! He looks forward to our lessons. [My son] is an avid reader and, prior to this, he read about 30 books a day. We love reading with him and having more time to do this with him has been priceless.
Do you know of any local businesses or nonprofits innovating to serve communities during this difficult time? How?
Yes, we at Nuvueu Cosmetic Surgery And Aesthetics Center are attempting to help the community by planning on donating N95 Masks directly to Physicians, Nurses, and other healthcare providers working to fight Covid-19. It is a small donation to all those who are risking their lives to fight this. There are several organizations helping at this time one of them is Masks for Heros (www.masksforheroes.com) whose focus is providing a medium for others to donate unused N95 masks to local hospitals and Healthcare workers in need of protective gear.
Learn more about this local creative, Dr. Lilian C. Azih, MD, founder of Nuvueu Cosmetic Surgery And Aesthetics Center here.
Community matters - now more than ever. We are thankful to LIFEWTR for helping us to connect and stay strong.