On Sunday I give kudos to individuals who have gone the extra mile to help others. Such is the case with Wayne Ingram and what he did to help Stefan Slavic.
From Epoch Bright:
Exactly 20 years ago, Stefan Slavic won the hearts of a British soldier and countless English TV viewers; today the impact of the little boy from Bosnia is still deeply felt. Stefan was born with an extremely rare, severe facial cleft that threatened his life and prevented him from having a childhood. He would undergo a transformational surgery thanks to his benefactor, now retired British soldier Wayne Ingram, 54.
In 2003, Mr. Ingram—then Staff Sgt. Ingram in the British army—visited Stefan’s town, Laktaši, 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of the Croatian border. Their pivotal first meeting was in March 2003, after Mr. Ingram saw a photo of Stefan during a routine patrol and was devastated. “As a father, you never want to see any harm come to your children. To see this young boy who was severely disfigured fight—it just broke my heart.”
Mr. Ingram wanted to help Stefan. What Mr. Ingram didn’t know but later learned was that Stefan’s facial cleft would have eventually killed him. Yet an operation would cost tens of thousands of euros. Seeing such courage in young Stefan, Mr. Ingram said he would do all he could. “I could never promise them that I would be able to help them. I had to get permission from the British army.”
Wayne Ingram wrote dozens of letters and emails, until eventually surgeon David Dunaway, from Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London, heard their plea. Mr. Dunaway replied that he would try to help Stefan, free of charge. “It wouldn’t have happened without him,” Mr. Ingram said. “He’s an amazing person.”
Including his crucial first twelve hour surgery in 2003, and one pre-op to remove several front teeth, Stefan has had five procedures. The others were in his teen years, ending with the completion of his nose in 2016.
Now, 20 years have passed. How did Wayne Ingram’s compassion and his over the top zeal to help this unfortunate stranger turn out?
Today, Stefan is a talented 24-year-old young man who plays the piano and is engaged.
Kudos to Wayne Ingram!