Bosnian boy hopes for new face

Stefan has already had two operations on his face

A disfigured Bosnian child has been brought to the UK to find out if surgeons can reconstruct his face.

Four-year-old Stefan Savic, born with a "facial cleft", is being assessed at Great Ormond Street Hospital where he could have surgery later in the year.

His rare condition resulted in his nose being cleft in two as his face developed and his eyes being too far apart.

Stefan and his mother and aunt were brought to London after their local community in Banja Luka, helped by UK troops, raised £24,000 for the trip and treatment.

'Dramatic improvement'

Craniofacial surgeon David Dunaway, who has agreed to waive his fee to carry out the operation, said the surgery could result in a "very dramatic improvement" in Stefan's appearance.

"From our point of view he is in for assessment and his treatment is still at an early stage," Mr Dunaway said.

When people get to know him they don't see he is deformed any more Slavenka Stefan's mother

Stefan is having tests to determine how his hearing, sight and other factors might be affected by his condition and any surgery.

His mother, Slavenka, said the surgery would change his life completely.

"He is a bright child and a naughty one, which I think the nurses have noticed," she said.

Slavenka said everyone in their local community who had helped to raise the money "adored" Stefan.

"It is his personality. You grow to love him. When people get to know him they don't see he is deformed any more," she said

Stefan has already undergone two corrective procedures in the Serbian capital Belgrade, but a third operation which was to have taken place in Paris fell through when costs rose too high.

A decision on surgery to treat Stefan's condition at Great Ormond Street is not expected for some time.

Operation

Mr Dunaway said during the operation - known as facial bi-partition - the bones in the youngster's face would be broken, excess material removed and the face pulled together again.

He said it was technically possible to carry out the operation on a four-year-old, although ideally they would like to wait until he was 18 and had finished growing.

But he said for social reasons it might be beneficial for Stefan to have surgery much earlier.

Troops pleased

Sergeant Wayne Ingram, who played a key role in bringing the family to the UK, said it was "fantastic" to see Stefan making progress towards his treatment.

"When we saw him coming down the stairs of the plane when he arrived it was great.

"It is one step towards getting his treatment. The next is when the consultation has finished and the next is when he comes over again for the operation," he said.

He said that the fundraising in Bosnia had helped relations with the whole community.

"It made the job a lot easier. The local people acted completely differently to us.

"We wanted them to bring forward the money to prove they could do it, and they all did," he said.