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Ed Yeates ReportingA boy from Kenya who had half his face eaten away by a dog is in Salt Lake for the next several days. Compassion here and in other states is rolling out for this four-year old in a big way.
As an infant, Daniel Wachira's mother threw him into a trash heap and walked away. A hungry dog found him first, destroying half his face.
Francis Jones, Co-Founder, Feed The Children: "By all rights, Daniel should not have survived. If a woman, a good Samaritan hadn't come by, Daniel wouldn't be here today."
But he is here, and he has captured the hearts of many people. So much so, a plastic surgeon in Houston has agreed to rebuild Daniel's face at no cost. That could take as long as ten years, reaching more than a million dollars. The hospital there has agreed to waive any of its charges as well.
Francis Jones: "From Oklahoma to Texas to Utah, everybody that sees Daniel falls in love with him."
In Kenya, Daniel ended up in the custody of the Francis Jones Abandoned Baby Center operated by "Feed The Children."
Francis Jones: "Once Daniel was abandoned in the slum and found and taken to the hospital, the authorities there began looking for some relative and could find no one."
For Daniel, the first in a very long series of surgeries begins in June of this year. That first one will last anywhere from nine to 12 hours.
Francis Jones: "A piece of muscle from his shoulder is going to be placed here, where the cheek should be. And I'm told as he grows, that muscle will grow as well."
The eye and upper and lower part of the lip will be restored. And a piece of his rib will repair the jawbone.
During a performance tomorrow with the Tabernacle Choir, The National Association of Music Education will present a check to "Feed The Children." Then Saturday, all proceeds from the "Dirty Dozen" Band concert at the Salt Palace will go to the group.
