Science
It Seemed Like Nothing Could Help This Little Boy, But Kindness And Science Saved The Day
When Yahya El Jabaly was born, everyone knew that life was going to be very different for him than it was for everyone else in his Moroccan hometown. The fact that he”s even alive today is surprising.
Yahya was born without a bone between his forehead and brain — the side effect of a rare genetic condition that keeps bones from properly fusing together. This essentially left Yahya without a face. He has no eyes, barely any semblance of a nose, and a nonfunctioning mouth.
Yahya”s facial deformities are saddening to look at, but imagine how difficult this situation is for the three-year-old boy.
Despite all of that, though, the kids in the village have accepted him. Even though he”s faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles, he”s a sweet kid.
It was surprising that Yahya survived infancy. Even so, living with this condition would always hold him back. That”s why his parents decided to take action.
Moved by Yahya”s plight, a woman named Fatima Baraka decided she wanted to help.
Baraka, who was born in Morocco but now resides in Melbourne, Australia, saw Yahya”s picture on Facebook and decided to help. She tracked down Professor Tony Holmes, who”s a surgeon famous for performing difficult procedures. He”s the doctor who separated conjoined twins Krishna and Trishna back in 2012.
For Yahya, the plan of action took months to nail down. Even with all that planning, the risk of Yahya dying during surgery was very real, especially because his brain was largely unprotected.
After a preparatory period, he went into surgery. His parents waited anxiously in the hospital until the procedure was over.
Despite potential complications, Yahya underwent a high-risk craniofacial surgery that took almost 19 hours to complete about 10 hours longer than expected. Thanks to Holmes and his team of talented surgeons, however, everything else went according to plan.
Even though the surgery took longer than anticipated, the brave little boy made his way to the ICU to recover.
With a reconstructed mouth, he was even able to smile for the first time in his life.
Today, Yahya has a whole new lease on life. He”s still blind and will likely be for the rest of his life, but his face has been reconstructed so that he is much more comfortable. Thanks to this revolutionary operation, his days will be much brighter.
The difference is astounding.
Yahya will have to undergo a few more surgeries, which will refine his nose and give him prosthetic eyes. But for now, he”s busy adjusting to his new face. His parents hope he will learn to speak soon.
Oh, and that”s not all. Yahya now has a younger sister named Amal. While there was concern that she would also have facial deformities, she was born perfectly healthy.
Check out these videos for more of Yahya”s story:
(via BuzzFeed, Yahoo News Australia, Daily Mail)
Yahya”s family has since moved to Melbourne, where they feel their children will have better futures and greater opportunities.
You can donate to Yahya”s fund online, which will go toward his future medical needs. Fatima Baraka has also founded the Moroccan Children”s Appeal, which helps underprivileged children with severe medical conditions in Morocco get the help they need.
For more medical wonders, check these out:
Source
http://www.viralnova.com/yahya-jabaly/
