Sergeant Darron Mikeworth was severely injured after being attacked by an Iraqi suicide bomber on April 29, 2005. The blast caused him to lose an eye, his nose and break every bone in his face. He also experienced injuries to his lower right arm.
The UCLA's Operation Mend, a program designed to provide cosmetic surgery to soldiers who were disfigured on the battlefield, allowed doctors to form a step-by-step reconstruction plan of Mikeworth's face. Doctors operated about once a month, starting from January 2008. Mikeworth's appearance has been greatly improved since his induction in the Operation Mend.
Operation Mend
Since the program's inauguration, the UCLA's Operation Mend has cared for 24 disfigured war veterans, attempting to reintegrate them into everyday life. The patients and families are housed at the UCLA's on-campus hotel and the surgeries are performed without charge to the injured. The program pays for the surgeries through a variety of philanthropic sources including the Katz Family Foundation and public support.UCLA Operation Mend: Frequently Asked Quesetions
References
Fast Facts
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Injured in suicide bomber blast on April 29, 2005
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Was a Sergeant in the U.S. Army
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Wants to be reassigned after he's fully-healed in summer of 2010
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Fell into three-week coma following blast
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Face severely disfigured from blast
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Lost nose, eye, broke every bone in his face, burnt off most of hair and eyebrows
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UCLA's Operation Mend provides plastic surgery for disfigured soldiers
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Had 16 surgeries before being transferred to UCLA
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Multiple skin grafts used to reconstruct his face
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Met wife, Dea, at age of 15
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Couple has two sons
