Kyrgyz boy gets facial reconstruction in Korea

Alinur, center, poses with the medical staff from Asan Medical Center. (Asan Medical Center)

An 8-year-old boy from Kyrgyzstan, whose face had been scarred from severe burns, has made full recovery from the facial reconstruction surgery he received at the Asan Medical Center, the hospital said Tuesday.

The AMC staff said the boy, named Alinur, has received nasal reconstruction surgeries and operations to remove his scars, and is set to head back home. The medical costs were fully covered by the hospital and the Asan Foundation, headed by Chung Mong-joon.

According to the AMC, Alinur sustained the injury two years ago when his face was splashed by boiling chemical liquid, leaving severe burns on his nose, forehead and eyes. His vision was not affected by the accident, but his nose was disfigured and he would feel pain and itching whenever the affected area was exposed to sunlight.

His family shouldered great financial burden for Alinur's treatment, but was unable to give the boy face reconstruction. The injuries forced him to shut himself out from the rest of the world, finding comfort only in reading maps of the world.

The boy ran into the medical staff on volunteer work in Kyrgyzstan in July of last year, who invited him to South Korea to get the necessary medical treatment. "Alinur told us, ‘Since I got burned, I hated it when people stared at my face. But this Christmas, I would like to play with my friends,'" the hospital officials said.

By Yoon Min-sik(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)