Petero Byakatonda

Petero Byakatonda is a boy living in a small village in Uganda. He was born with a rare genetic disorder called Crouzon syndrome, which caused his skull to be forced into a cone shape. Crouzon syndrome is very rare, and affects only 1 in 25,000 live births. He was flown to Dallas, Texas, USA for corrective craniofacial surgery by Dr. Kenneth Salyer. His brain had grown upward instead of forward, and his eyes had bulged to the point where his eyesight was nearly lost.

Petero's trip to Dallas and his subsequent treatment was made possible by a charity headed by Dr. Salyer called The World Craniofacial Foundation. Founded over 17 years ago, the charity helps over 75 children a year, from all over the world, suffering from severe skull deformities. [ [http://www.mymultiplesclerosis.co.uk/misc/petero-byakatonda.html Extraordinary Children. "The Boy With a New Head"] ]

By risky surgery, outward-facing, bulging eyes and squeezed brain were corrected, and he is expected to make a full recovery as his head continues to grow normally with the aid of injected proteins. His story was featured on TLC and Discovery in 2007.

Notes and references