YPSILANTI, Mich. – Since moving in with his host family in Ypsilanti, smiles come more easily for 13-year-old Nasrallah Nassar.
When he was 3 months old a bomb hit his home on the West Bank.
"He was in his crib and he was severely burnt on his left side of his body. Actually, they thought he was dead," said Yazmeen Hamed.
Hamed is president of the Detroit chapter of Palestine Children's Relief Fund. The group has helped hundreds of injured children from the Middle East. Doctors from the University of Michigan Health System are caring for Nasrallah for free.
"His left foot is severely deformed. His chest is burned. He's missing an ear. He also loss his left arm and his right hand is severely burnt as well," said Hamed.
Last month he underwent plastic surgery on seven areas of his body. He also is getting a prosthetic left hand. His host Kawthar Omar also is a nurse.
"He's gonna have a hook and he's gonna have a real hand. He could switch between both of them," she said. "He's just an amazing kid, and I don't know if I have his courage."
Nasrallah is getting over his shyness. He loves using the iPad, playing games and watching his favorite movie.
"Spiderman," he said.
The Palestine Children's Relief Fund also is providing a tutor. More tutoring will follow when he returns home.
"How many people could say they changed somebody's life? Not many people can say that. And that's what we're doing here. We're changing his life,"
Nasrallah has been Skyping with his family. He is facing perhaps a year of medical treatment before he can go home.
He speaks little English, but he has picked up a few phrases. It's no surprise one of them is "Go Blue."
If you want more information on this charitable group, go here.