Wounded Iraqi boy under goes another surgery

Nurses, doctors and host parents surrounded Haider Emad Al-Darausha's bed just before surgery to hold his hand and show him pictures of how his scars have healed since coming to the United States.

The 7-year-old Iraqi boy suffered burns in a mortar attack in Karbala when he was 2. He came to Hilton Head Island in January through the Gift of Life program, which provides surgery for children who can't get adequate treatment in their home countries.

Haider had his first operation last month, but Wednesday was his final surgery with Dr. Robert Laughlin -- and the boy was scared.

He seemed sleepy and nervous earlier that morning, but soon became distracted by cartoons and friends who came to visit.

His host mom, Debbie Heitmann, tickled him and took his picture. Haider made funny faces at her and talked about eating chicken and pancakes.

When nurses wheeled him into Operating Room 1, he began to cry. His aunt, Batool Al-Hakeem, couldn't control her tears and covered her face with her hands.

"He's just a baby," she said to Kristen Sakati, another host.

Haider had surgery on his legs, face and right hand last month. Wednesday's operation was to further improve his facial scars, Laughlin said.

"Unfortunately, if he were in this country later on, there would be more we could do," Laughlin said.

Inside OR1, nurses covered Haider's tiny body with white warming blankets and wrapped blue cloth around his head to keep his hair out of the way.

Pop music played over the constant beep of Haider's heartbeat.

Laughlin rubbed orange disinfectant over the boy's face and marked the areas where he would remove scar tissue and release tightness on Haider's forehead, cheeks, nose and upper lip.

Originally, Laughlin was going to graft skin to the boy's lip, but said he did not want to eliminate Haider's ability to grow a mustache as an adult.

Surgery won't erase the boy's scars, Laughlin said, but they will shrink and blend in with his skin as he grows older.

As Laughlin cut, the boy's skin began to soften. Despite stitches, his face was smoother than the thick blobs of scar tissue that once formed around his nose and lips.

After the two-hour operation, surgical assistants covered Haider's face with antibiotic ointment. They then woke him up and wheeled him to recovery.

Laughlin has helped about 15 children through the program and said it's always sad when they leave -- especially when their countries are still in the midst of war.

"It's hard when you know what they are going back to," he said.

Haider will remain here for about one more month before returning home.