LOS ANGELES, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- A 5-year-old boy, who suffered severe burns at the hands of masked men in Iraq, has arrived in the United States to undergo medical treatment.
CNN reported Wednesday that Youssif and his parents arrived this week in Los Angeles, ending a journey of more than 7,500 miles for medical treatment for the severely burned child.
The boy was living with his family in Baghdad when he was attacked on Jan. 15. Masked men grabbed him outside of his family's home and used gasoline to set him on fire, causing severe burns to much of his body.
After hearing of the poor child's predicament, officials at the Children's Burn Foundation began organizing medical efforts to help him.
CNN said the foundation helped fast-track the family's travel paperwork and have found a doctor to perform a series of operations on Youssif to help him recover from his burns.
The multiple surgeries the child requires, along with the lengthy rehabilitation he will need, should keep Youssif and his family in the United States for more than six months.
