Boy with no eyes or nose undergoes surgery

Boy with no eyes or nose undergoes surgery
Photo: Screengrabs from Seven Network
PHOTO:

While Moroccan boy Yahya El Jabaly was in his mother's womb, his facial bones did not fuse properly, leaving him deformed.

He was born without eyes. And where his nose should have been, there was a gaping hole.

His upper jaw was twisted upwards, resulting in him being unable to speak. He could only grunt to communicate.

One part of his brain near his forehead was not covered by his skull, but merely by a layer of skin.

The three-year-old boy's plight came to light when his father's friend posted a message on Facebook pleading for doctors to help the boy live a normal life, reported Mail Online.

Melbourne-based Fatima Baraka, who was born in Morocco, saw the post and found a doctor for the boy.

Yahya and his family flew to Australia at the end of last year.

The boy underwent 18 hours of surgery at Melbourne Royal Children's Hospital.

Australia television network Seven Network broadcast the boy's story on Sunday (June 28) and revealed his new face.

Dr Tony Holmes, who conducted the operation, said Yahya's parents were happy with the outcome.

"When they first saw him, you could just tell that they were so stunned and so happy," he said.

Yahya now has a nose made out of his own skin and an upper jaw.

He is attending speech therapy and will be undergoing surgery to add cartilage to his nose, reported The Independent.

The costly operations were funded by donations, and the doctors worked for free.

After the operations are completed, Yahya will return to Morocco and attend a school for children who are blind.

Sources: Mail Online, The Independent


This article was first published on July 1, 2015.
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