Safari kimanzi biography

Safari Kimanzi (or Kimanthi), best known as just "Safari" (born 20 August 1993), is a Kenyan who as a six-year-old boy received extensive plastic surgery over the course of 12 months to correct disfigurement of his face, neck, shoulder and hand caused by severe burns when he was an infant in Kenya. He was operated on by a team of volunteers at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA) in Sydney, Australia, headed by senior plastic surgeon, Dr David Pennington. Safari spent almost twelve months in Australia, in and out of hospital, for his 14 operations. Before his surgery he was malnourished and only able to eat mashed bananas and milk because of severe contractures of his mouth and neck. His plight was discovered by Lesley Coverdale who was visiting with a friend in the area where Safari lived. She returned to Australia and began raising funds for his treatment. In a chance meeting with Ms Coverdale, Pennington, the Head of RPA's Department of Plastic Surgery, of Safari kimanzi biography youtube.