Erick John Rwabirire, 17, from Uganda, was born with a rare bone disorder that caused a giant tumor to grow on his face. When the tumor began to choke him, preventing him from eating or drinking, he went to the UK in 2015 and surgeons were able to remove the growth.

After undergoing facial reconstruction, he was sent home, with a visibly better face. However, a few weeks later, the tumor grew again, twice the size, resulting in his death, according to information from the Daily Mail .  The operation was successfully carried out in 2015 and financed through donations from a charity. During the treatment period, which lasted around nine months, he lived far from his parents, as well as fighting pain and social stigma.

Rwabirire’s story came to light after a British TV program revived it in one of its productions. It highlights the final moments of the inspiring life of the young man, who risked his life for the desire to live a normal life.  “ I was told that I could die or survive, but I don’t know what it will be like ”, He reportedly said before carrying out the operation.

The documentary also featured footage from the world’s leading craniofacial surgeons, Niall Kirkpatrick and Simon Eccles, who performed Erick’s operation at Crowell Hospital in London.  Doctors were able to remove a piece of the boy’s skull to give him a new jaw after it was damaged by the tumor. Furthermore, they harvested a piece of muscle from the thigh to create parts of the mouth.

Despite being nicknamed “the boy without a face”, he often received praise for his optimism in the face of adversity.  “ His remarkable spirit and infectious love of life meant that everyone who met him not only fell in love with him, but was also determined to make his life the best it could be ,” said Jazz Gowans, executive director of Transparent Television , responsible for producing the program.  Now, Erick’s family hopes they can start a charitable foundation in his name.