A father's courage and daughter's hope: Iraq girl gets back smile in Mumbai

At Gleneagles Hospitals in Mumbai's Parel, a dedicated team led by Dr Nilesh Satbhai, performed a surgery on young Raimas Ali Karim, aiming to bring back her facial symmetry and her joy.

Mumbai: Amidst the heart-wrenching turmoil in Iraq, a father’s love knows no boundaries. Determined to restore his six-year-old daughter’s smile, he embarked on a perilous journey to India. 

At Gleneagles Hospitals in Mumbai's Parel, a dedicated team led by Dr Nilesh Satbhai, Head of Plastic, Hand, Reconstructive Microsurgery, and Transplant, performed a surgery on young Raimas Ali Karim, aiming to bring back her facial symmetry and her joy.

Raimas was born with a rare congenital vascular malformation on the left side of her face. 

This condition led to severe bleeding and infections, casting a shadow over her early years. Amidst the chaos and dangers of war in Iraq, Raimas and her father faced immense challenges, risking everything to seek treatment in India.

In July 2019, their journey began. Dr Satbhai successfully removed the large and complex vascular malformation, but the surgery left Raimas with facial paralysis. 

The Covid-19 pandemic and escalating war delayed her follow-up treatments. Despite the war, Raimas’s father tirelessly navigated through the dangerous conditions in Iraq, determined to secure the best care for his daughter. His relentless efforts saw them return to India in May 2024 for the next stage of treatment.

Dr Satbhai performed the first stage of a two-part surgery on May 30, 2024, involving Cross Facial Nerve Grafting. The operation was a success, and Raimas was discharged three days later. “We will wait 8 to 10 months for nerve recovery before the second stage of surgery in April 2025,” explained Dr Satbhai. This will involve transplanting a muscle from her thigh to her face, restoring movement and symmetry.

India has become a hope for international patients facing complex health challenges. 

Raimas’s father expressed deep gratitude, saying: “Witnessing my daughter’s suffering was as distressing as the turmoil in our homeland. Despite the dangers, I was resolute in seeking treatment in India. Thanks to Dr Satbhai and his team, my daughter now has the hope to smile normally and express her emotions more effectively. With her current facial deformity, she finds it difficult to cope with peer pressure and societal behavior towards her. She is losing her confidence and is becoming introverted and aloof day by day. We look forward to returning home, where she can reunite with family and friends and resume her studies. I hope that just as my daughter’s condition improves, our nation’s struggles will also end.”