Little Youssif

By now, you have probably heard the horrible story of the little Iraqi boy that was burned alive by masked men. He survived this torture, but the burns to his face are so severe that he is completely disfigured. His family doesn't have the money to afford reconstructive surgery.

Well the story was run on CNN and CNN.com over the past month. So many people heard about this story, and were so touched that they poured out their love and support to Youssif and his family. So much so, that his reconstructive surgery is completely paid for. I heard all about this story about a month ago and felt sadness for this little boy.

However, this morning when I first arrived at work, I happened to glance up at the television while the story was running on CNN. I didn't realize that it was the story about Youssif at the time; all I saw was a little boy from behind running down a hallway. His mannerisms were strikingly similar to my little munchkin baby boy at home, and it made me smile. I watched for a while, and then he turned around to face the camera. I realized that it was Little Youssif. Tears stung my eyes immediately. It took me associating him with my own child before the reality of it all hit me. He's just a baby...an innocent baby who probably loves trucks, and swings and slides on the playground. Sweet little boy. The whole process will probably take about a year, according to doctors. Keep him in your prayers!

Story [cnn.com]