Congolese boy mauled by chimps to undergo facial surgery in NY (photos)

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shy and withdrawn.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.'