Burned Iraqi boy's road to recovery

Youssif, a 9-year-old Iraqi boy living in Los Angeles, recently received the "certificate of citizenship", an award given in his school for being nice, but his life hasn't always been good. On January 15, 2007, Youssif was playing outside when his mother heard him screaming. She assumed it was fighting, so she would be able to stop it, but it was something tragic, he was on fire. His mother fainted and when she woke up, she couldn't recognize her son. As she described it, "The skin was melted off." Since he was burned, Youssif has gone through dozens of facial reconstructive surgeries and counseling. Paying for these things was also an issue for his family. They came from Iraq and Youssif's makes $9 as a security guard, and his mom brings in little to no income, too. Since the family can not afford to pay for the services, the California Children's Services has covered all of the surgeries and counseling. Youssif has said that his look don't bother him, "because, like, none of my other friends make fun of me." His mother has said because of the injuries Youssif has suffered, "his personality has changed so much. The way he interacts with people -- everything. It began as soon as he started school and realized that the children don't care about his appearance. It allowed him to have a normal life."