Army Major Glenn Battschinger was in Afghanistan on a humanitarian mission, to build wells in order to revive the local villages. Little did he know that his mission would take a quick turn and change a little boy’s life.

As he was patrolling the streets of Jalalabad, he came across 6-year-old Muslam Hagigshah, a frail Afghan boy who was born with a rare birth defect (He was born with his bladder outside his body). Touched by the scene, Battschinger went above and beyond his call of duty and arranged for the boy to be transported to New Jersey to undergo a series of operations.

Muslam has been recovering very well from the surgery, attending kindergarten, and living with a foster family. Once he’s fully recovered, Battschinger will be accompanying the little boy back to Afghanistan.