This remarkable photography is the work of photographer Michael Clancy who admitted that taking these photos changed his life.
The photos were taken during in utero surgery to correct a problem brought on by spina bifida. The fetus was named Samuel and was 21 weeks along at the time of surgery.
According to Clancy, "Samuel thrusts his tiny hand out of the surgical opening of his mother's uterus. As the doctor lifts his hand, Samuel reacts to the touch and squeezes the doctor's finger. As if testing for strength, the doctor shakes the tiny fist. Samuel held firm."
The following is a slide show of the surgery photos:
Where have all of the beautiful people gone? That is what you are going to be asking yourself if the economy gets any worse. It is not because the pretty people are hiding; instead, it is because those beautiful folks are not so pretty any more.
The faltering economy is forcing the masses to indefinitely postpone that plastic surgery they had intended to undergo to make themselves prettier. If you think that cosmetic surgery is just for the rich and famous, you had better think again.
Many of the folks getting tummy tucks and liposuction are the average Joes and Janes right down the street. They used to pay for their rhinoplasties and breast augmentations through mortgage refinancing and home equity loans.
Now that home values are sagging so are backsides and C cups. The mortgage mess and the housing crunch have made it much harder to get cash out of your home, so the less than pretty crowd are being constrained to remain a mite less attractive.
Plastic surgeons are reporting that their business is down 50% since obtaining a home equity loan got so tough.
We have embedded a CNN video that explores how the Credit Crisis has restrained cosmetic surgeries:
But consumer confidence is a factor too. Many of the people who do have the funds for that planned surgery are afraid to spend it because they fear that their job may disappear in a few months.
If Joe and Jane down the street are unsure about future income, they will defer splurging on big ticket elective surgery. They can always try dieting to trim down their waistlines and delay surgical belly enhancement until their finances improve.
And you thought all of those babes on the beach were an example of nature's handiwork.
