The Edinburgh Evening News reports that reconstructive surgery, including permanent make up, has given a victim of the Iraq war a new life. When Hannan Shihab, now 21, was just 15, an American bomb landed near her Baghdad home, knocking an oil lamp onto her bed and leaving her with third-degree burns over 20% of her body. In the years that followed the 2003 incident, Shihab has undergone six rounds of major reconstructive surgery to rebuild her ears, nose, and lips, as well as skin graft operations.
In the future, Shihab plans to pursue other operations to reconstruct her lips and have permanent eyebrow makeup applied. Despite the intensity of the procedures that she has already undergone, Shihab has managed to remain positive and pursue normal activities. She has a 19-month-old daughter and hopes to pass her driving test and begin classes at Stevenson College soon.