Boy Who Amazed Doctors Back In 1987: 14YO Ahad Israfil Survived Gunshot Wound Despite Losing Half His Brain?

Sometimes miracles do save lives. Such was the case of a boy who survived even after losing half of his brain after enduring a lethal gunshot wound. Back in 1987, Ahad Israfil was just a small boy of 14 when he was brutally shot in the head by his employer while he was busy at work.

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Boy Survived Gunshot Wound Even After Losing Half Of His Brain

Israfil was rushed to the hospital, where doctors did everything they could to save the boy in a crucial five-hour-long operation. The gunshot wound not only destroyed one of his cerebral hemispheres but also crushed his skull. Given the severity of Israfil¡¯s injury, the doctors did not have much hope.

It was Dr. Raymond Poelstra who had operated on Israfil¡¯s wound that night in the 1980s. The doctor opened up about the case in a talk with Guinness Primetime and said, "That particular injury was probably the worst gunshot injury that I have ever seen. The initial thought was, this young man probably won¡¯t make it, this young man probably won¡¯t survive."

Although the operation did end well, Israfil was nowhere near cured. He still had a painful recovery to get through, during which anything could have happened. The doctors had advised Israfil¡¯s family to prepare for the worst, as the chances of the little boy¡¯s survival were thin.

The Boy Later Got Reconstructive Surgery For His Lost Skull And Brain

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However, despite opposing medical opinions, Israfil survived after he regained much of his cognitive function, though he was still left with a huge dent in his brain, which made him feel "like a monster." Seeing Israfil¡¯s struggle, top reconstructive surgeon Dr. James Apesos promised the boy he would get him back to his original look.

To do so, the doctor created a hard silicon implant to fill the gap inside his head and give it its original shape back. After getting his new skull implant, Israfil shared, "I felt great, I was just smiling here to kingdom come.." The boy went on to study in college and even wrote a book about his life experiences. He even went on several television programs where he shared his life story.

In 2019, Israfil passed away. "He was living with half a skull and half a brain; he just got tired," his mother said at the time. She was proud of her son for persevering through the impossible recovery and said, "I have a picture of him on the fridge, one side of his head is totally gone and he¡¯s smiling."

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