Girl, four, left with horrific burns after U.S. drone attack in Pakistan is brought to America to receive surgery
- Shakira was pulled from a bin by a medical mission where two other children died of their injuries
Last updated at 11:40 AM on 23rd December 2011
A girl who was burned beyond recognition by a U.S. drone and left for dead in a trashcan is about to undergo reconstructive surgery.
The child who has been named Shakira, which means thankful, has been brought to the U.S. from her home in Pakistan. Surgeons have offered to operate on her injuries free of charge.
Shriner’s Hospital in Galveston, Texas, will be carrying out the reconstructive operations on Shakira’s face and hands.
Scroll down for video
Little miracle: Two years ago, Shakira, whose name means thankful, was discovered badly burned in a bin following a drone attack in Pakistan
Force of optimism: Shakira, four, will undergo hours of reconstructive surgery after she was badly burned in a U.S. drone attack in Pakistan
She was found by a medical mission team two years ago and was described as ‘lucky’ by staff as two other children found with her were killed by the military attack.
No relatives have ever been found for the child and she spent three years in the Shalimar Hospital in Lahore without being claimed.
Dr Robert McCauley told CNN: ‘It’s not easy and it’s not a single-day procedure.
‘One thing I’ve learned over the years is that children adapt well when they have support.’
He will start procedures on Shakira’s hand on January 16.
Pain: Doctors are carrying out the skilful work to rebuild Shakira’s badly burned face and hands
Procedures: The four-year-old who was also left with disfigured hands was described as ‘lucky’ by the medical staff as two other children died in the attack
Dr McCauley is a specialist plastic surgeon who has been carrying out this type of reconstructive work for 25 years. Shakira is expected to take up to a year to recover from her injuries.
Last month, 24 Pakistani troops were killed in another drone attack by the U.S. on the country at a post close to the border with Afghanistan.
Making the difference: Dr Robert McAuley has carried out reconstructive plastic surgery for 25 years and said the journey will not be an easy one for Shakira
Filed under: Crime, War, Terrorism, Pakistan, US war crimes
newsbreakcanada 