LOS ANGELES (AP) — An 11-year-old Ugandan orphan burn victim has arrived in Los Angeles for reconstructive surgeries to allow him to walk again.
The Children's Burn Foundation says Adolf Baguma was hungry and trying to grab food at age seven, when his aunt threw burning banana leaves she used as cooking fuel onto the backs of his legs as a punishment.
The burns were untreated and fused the skin behind his knees together in a 90-dergee angle, forcing Adolf to crawl on all fours to move around.
Executive Director Carol Horvitz says the foundation was contacted by an LA attorney who met Adolf while on a mission trip in Uganda.
Burn expert Dr. Peter Grossman will perform the surgeries, which are expected to give Adolf the normal physical ability of a young boy.
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