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Patrick became something of a celebrity when he was brought over to Belgium for plastic surgery in March 2002.
Together with his best friend, the 12-year-old Ugandan boy was abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army in November 2001. He was sent to fight without any military training whatsoever. Because the boy did not know how to fight, he was immediately hit in the mouth by a bullet. His friend, who was fighting next to Patrick, was killed on the spot.
Patrick spent two months in a hospital in Gulu. He couldn't talk, eat or drink. Because there were no plastic surgeons in Uganda, he was brought to Belgium. He went through surgery at Louvain University Hospital on 28 March 2002 . The operation took 19 hours and was performed by three plastic surgeons. Skin from his back and arm needed to be transplanted to reconstruct his jaw.
The operation was a success. Today, Patrick's jaw looks fine and, thanks to our sponsoring programme, he's back at school at Gulu Public Primary School.
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