8-year-old Congolese boy to undergo surgery in the US after chimp attack

An 8-year-old boy who was attacked by chimpanzees in the Democratic Republic of Congo is set to undergo a rare double-lip reconstruction surgery at a New York hospital next week.

Dunia Sibomana was attacked two years ago as he was playing near a river in the DRC, that is home to a few remaining mountain gorillas. His lips were torn off in the incident that claimed the life of his younger brother.

The Smile Rescue Fund for Kids brought him to the United States where he will undergo three major surgeries as explained by Dr. Alexander Dagum

“There will be three major surgeries. The first to bring the tissue there, and the second one to expand local tissue to use and the third one to sort of bring everything together. And after that, there will probably be one or two touch up procedures just to kind of balance things out, to make things a little bit more aesthetic for him.”

The surgery is meant to restore the functioning of his lips, that will improve his speech and stop constant drooling.

Sibomana would be the youngest recipient of a double lip reconstruction. Two other known cases involved adults.

Dunia Sibomana from the DRC will soon receive reconstructive facial surgery. Beautiful image from Shannon Stapleton pic.twitter.com/MCtLTSfkkq

— corinne_perkins (@corinne_perkins) January 7, 2016