Dunia
Sibomana was considered the lucky one when a group of chimpanzees
jumped from the trees and attacked him and 2 other boys as they played
near a preserve in their native Democratic Republic of the Congo. Dunia, unlike the others, survived. But
he was severely disfigured: His lips ripped off and one cheek torn
apart, leaving him with muscle damage that make it hard for him to eat,
swallow and communicate.
Now,
eight-year-old Dunia is set to undergo a rare and complicated surgery at
a Long Island hospital that will use tissue and muscle from his forearm
to recreate both lips. The hope is that he will once again be able to
open and close his mouth, and eat and talk normally.
Dr.
Leon Klempner, an associate professor of dentistry at Stony Brook
Children's Hospital, where Dunia will undergo the operation, said: 'As
you can imagine, not having any lips, the food can just come right out.
'He drools all the time and can't pronounce different words.'
Dunia had also stopped going to school because the other children in his native Congo ridiculed him.
Monday's
planned eight-hour procedure will be the first of three major
operations for Dunia, who was brought from the Congo in November with
the help of the non-profit foundation Smile Rescue for Kids.
Dr.
Alexander Dagum, the hospital's chief of plastic and reconstructive
surgery, said he believes there are only three other documented cases
where the same surgery has been performed. The hospital is covering the
cost of the surgery and the doctors have all donated their time.
Since
the attack two years ago, which killed Dunia's four-year-old brother
and a young cousin, Dunia has been the target of bullies and become shy
and withdrawn.
In his short
time in the United States, he has been living with a host family on
Long Island, attending elementary school and learning English in
addition to his native Swahili.
Appearing
for an interview with this doctors on Monday, Dunia, buried himself in
video games on a tablet and colored with markers. He occasionally stuck
his tongue out at the doctors as they explained the procedure.
Klempner
said: 'We're feeling very optimistic. We're hoping after the surgery
he'll reintegrate into society and perhaps go back to school or have
some semblance of a normal life.'
Culled from UK Daily Mail
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