Youssif (burn Victim) - Progress and Recovery

Progress and Recovery

Since 2007, Youssif has undergone fifteen surgeries. Youssif's biggest scar was removed in his second surgery on November 29, 2007. Just before the operation, Youssif became struck with panic, crying "I can't do this. I can't do this." The surgery, however, was pronounced a success by Dr. Grossman and his team.

Youssif's second surgery resulted in some short-term complications. Just hours after Youssif's family began celebrating a successful surgery, they found his bedsheets soaked in blood. Dr. Grossman and his team immediately returned to the operating room and found that the source of the bleeding was an arterial blood vessel, which was brought under control in just thirty minutes. Youssif, however, was rushed back to the operating room for the third time in twenty-four hours due to further bleeding, this time from an arterial blood vessel on the other side of his face. Dr. Grossman had to re-open Youssif's stitches—around 60 to 100 of them—to locate the source of the bleeding, a process that lasted almost two hours. By the next day, Youssif's recovery was back on track. Youssif's father described his fear when he discovered Youssif covered in blood, telling CNN, "I said to myself, 'This is it. I'm going to lose my son.'"

The long-term effects of the surgery were highly successful. Two days after the surgery, Youssif expressed happiness at his progress, proudly announcing "Look, Daddy, my mouth is open! I can fit the whole fork into it and I can take big bites!" he said. On the day he was dispatched from hospital, he said, "I can see all my teeth! I can stick my tongue out all the way!" he said to his dad while waiting to leave the hospital. Dr. Grossman expressed sympathy for Youssif's parents, saying, "I wish I could have avoided them going through an emotional roller-coaster."

Youssif began attending an American school January 2008. He happily pulls off his plastic face mask and pats his cheeks, which were once covered by horrific burns. "No hurt," the 5-year-old Iraqi boy says in English on February 26, 2008.

Before his attack, Youssif told his parents he wished to become a doctor. Youssif told CNN's Sanjay Gupta that he continues to hold this dream on the August 14, 2010 special edition of Sanjay Gupta MD. When asked why he wanted to be a doctor, Youssif responded, "to help people". Youssif's parents continue to support his dream, telling CNN, "We want our son to go places that we couldn't even dream of."

Youssif's stay in California and his progress throughout his surgeries is being chronicled on a regular basis by CNN.com. There is also a Facebook page that is dedicated to him entitled "Youssef's Fund" which was put together by Eman Eshmawy and Justin Surmast.

As of December 2011, Youssif and his family are living in Los Angeles and working to obtain US citizenships.