The real EGG-HEAD Boy

Petero Byakatonda, a 13-year-old boy from a remote village in Uganda, suffers from a genetic disorder called Crouzon’s syndrome. The illness affects around one in 10,000 newborns and is normally treated within a few months of birth. But because of Petero’s isolation, he was diagnosed only recently, and it is incredible that he is still alive.

All his life, Petero’s misshapen head and bulging eyes have meant that he has been feared and tormented by other children in his village. “They used to bully me all the time,” he says. His mother, Dorothea, explains that kids used to throw stones at Petero every time he walked to the well. He was treated like a person at home but an animal everywhere else. Now, however, a Dallas-based surgical team offers hope.

After Surgery:

Two months after his first operation, the change in Petero is hard to believe. His head now looks normal, but perhaps the most amazing transformation is in his personality. Whereas he used to be a shy, reclusive boy, ashamed to show his face in public, he is now playful, excited and outgoing.