Westside : Croatian Boy to Have Surgery on Jaw Shattered by Bullet
War has taken a toll on Antonio Kodoman, a 4-year-old Croatian boy shot in the mouth two years ago by a Serbian soldier while he was sleeping.
The boy, whose jaw was shattered on one side, was flown to Los Angeles this week to undergo reconstructive surgery in West Los Angeles.
The sniper shot Antonio three times in May 1994, leaving the youngster able to move his mouth only slightly. For the most part, Antonio lives on a liquid diet.
Because of his injury, dentists have been unable to fix cavities in the boy’s teeth that make him cringe with pain.
When Gina Jakic, a Beverly Hills resident and longtime member of the Croatian American Club of San Pedro, learned of the boy’s situation, she asked Dr. Francis Rogers Palmer III to donate his time and talent to help.
A program director at USC’s School of Medicine, Palmer also is founder of the International Humanitarian Foundation, which provides specialized medical care to people injured in wars and natural disasters.
On Friday, Palmer is scheduled to operate on Antonio to reconstruct his jaw--just in time for the youngster’s birthday party on Monday, when Antonio turns 5.
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