DOCTORS have gone ahead with major surgery to rebuild a badly-burned baby’s face – just hours after he stopped breathing and needed to be resuscitated.
Mohammad Sudais was flown to Scotland from Pakistan to receive treatment for horrific burns he received in a gas blast which wiped out his family.
But on Tuesday night, the eve of a major operation to repair his eyes, nose and mouth, fourth-month-old Mohammad stopped breathing.
Doctors revived the youngster but it seemed unlikely yesterday’s (wed) operation would go ahead.
Despite the setback, the operating team at Yorkhill, Glasgow, led by Dr Stuart Watson, went in to theatre with Mohammad at around 2pm.
A nationwide campaign was launched by the youngster’s Glasgow-based uncle last month after the accident in Peshawar which left him with horrifying injuries.
Mohammad was found whimpering under the wreckage having suffered 80% “full thickness skin loss”.
The appeal has so far raised £15,000 – enough to transport the tot to Scotland, where the NHS is paying for his treatment.
A post on the official fundraising page for Mohammad said surgeons were taking him to theatre.
It read: “Baby Mohammad is now in theatre. The operation will be led by Dr Stuart Watson and his team of doctors.
A previous post told his followers that he had “stopped breathing last night.”
It added: “Resuscitated. There’s infection they think. Not sure if major surgery today will take place.”
Just an hour before the drama unfolded, Mohammad’s uncle, Mohammad Asif, recorded a moving video at the hospital.
Cuddling the infant, he told how the family were “nervous” but “optimistic”.
He said: “Tomorrow [Wed] he shall have his major operations. The eyes, mouth and probably the nose as well.
“The doctors are very optimistic. The team is led by Dr Watson who is a very humble and kind man.”
The 47-year-old tearfully added: “We’re hoping that this boy will be looking different from tomorrow, in a positive way.
“Obviously we are nervous, you know, because this is the only hope of my brother. But he will be okay.”
More than £15,000 has been raised
The team of six surgeons were scheduled to perform the operations on the youngster yesterday (wed) after staff battled to get his weight up.
He was fed a diet of milk every hour to help him gain 2kgs and was given iron supplements to help him heal.
Kind-hearted strangers have already donated more than £15,000 towards the appeal which funded the travel costs and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are paying for the treatment.
The four-month-old was the sole survivor of a gas explosion which ripped through the family house on December 16.
Father, Ameen, mother, Samaira and 13-month-old brother Abdul all died in hospital shortly after the explosion.
Mr Asif added: “It’s tragic and it is going to stay with us for the rest of our lives. He has no one else to go. My children are crazy about him. I have three girls and now I have two boys.”
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde declined to comment, saying it was a matter for the family.
