Medics find Eid celebration bullet in the brain of nine-year-old Palestinian boy after his parents took him to hospital complaining he was ‘sleepy’
- The unnamed boy was conscious when he arrived at Hadassah Medical Centre
- Doctors say they discovered blood on his head and a small wound on his scalp
- They said the bullet passed through his brain and stopped at the back of his head
Doctors have discovered a bullet lodged in the brain of a nine-year-old Palestinian boy, as police investigate the possibility he was hit by gunfire during Eid al-Adha celebrations.
The child, from East Jerusalem, was rushed to hospital by his parents who were concerned over how sleepy he had become.
The unnamed boy was conscious when he arrived at Hadassah Medical Centre, but doctors discovered he had a small wound on his head with blood on his scalp.
Medics who performed a CT scan were left stunned at the discovery of a bullet lodged in the child’s brain.
Neurosurgeon Guy Elor, the doctor who removed the bullet, told the Times of Israel that the boy’s parents, from Ras al-Amud, were unaware their child had been shot
They said the bullet entered the side of his skull before passing through his brain and stopping at the back of his head.
Neurosurgeon Guy Elor, the doctor who removed the bullet, told the Times of Israel that the boy’s parents, from Ras al-Amud, were unaware their child had been shot.
‘The mother reported that he was playing with his friends and something happened, maybe something fell on him.
‘The story really wasn’t clear. He had just a tiny wound on the top of his head.’
The child was taken into surgery two hours after arriving at hospital, and Elor said he was ‘very lucky’ to have survived the ordeal.
‘Had the bullet gone in at another angle it would have caused much more damage to the brain and left significant neurological damage,’ he added.
The boy is now recovering well and is awake and communicating with medics and family.
Eid al-Adha – the festival of sacrifice – follows the completion of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
It is the second major celebration of the Islamic calendar after Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the month of fasting called Ramadan.
Many Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha, which can last between two to four days, by sacrificing an animal for feasts to be shared by family, friends and those in need in large groups.