Canada: Vancouver surgeon gives hope to people hunted for their body parts

In late 2012, Vancouver plastic surgeon Dr. Mark Hill gave a Tanzanian boy with little hope in life the chance at an education by replacing his thumb with one of his toes. He is now able to hold a pen.

The boy, who has albinism, was 12 years old when hit men paid by a witch doctor chopped off his right thumb, two of his fingers and badly injured his opposite arm. They were after his body parts, worth thousands on the black market due to a deep-rooted belief that they are endowed with magical powers. His parents were complicit in the attack.

This fall, Hill and a medical team from the University of B.C. will travel to East Africa, donating their time and expertise to help victims of similar attacks.

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