Heartless thieves have stolen a child's walker from a church - a donated, crucial aid belonging to an inspiring little boy born with no face.

Last year Australians were captivated by four-year-old Yahya El Jabaly's story after he was brought to Australia and given the chance to live a normal life, thanks to the help of an incredible Melbourne surgeon.

He was born with no eyes, a hole in the middle of his face where his nose should be and no upper jaw.

Following months of complex reconstructive surgery to build Yahya's face, the Moroccan-born child is living in Melbourne's St Kilda and learning how to walk for the first time in his life.

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Yahya El Jabaly was born with no eyes, a hole in the middle of his face where his nose should be and no upper jaw. Now his walker (left, pictured before surgery) has been stolen by heartless thieves

The three-year-old boy lives in a small village six hours from Casablanca,in Morocco with his parents

However, the story has taken a sad turn after his custom-made walker was stolen from a church storeroom - a crucial piece of equipment for the resilient little boy's recovery.

'We are shocked someone would take a child's mobility walker,' said Yahya's carer Fatima Baraka, who has also been providing the child and his mother with a home during his time in Australia.

'It's a really senseless act and to take place in a church is quite disturbing.'

The walker was being stored at Christ Church Community Center in St Kilda when it went missing in April.

Ms Baraka says they are dependent on donations to survive and the loss of the walker, valued at over $1000, is something they cannot afford to replace.

Despite being happy, healthy and adored by his parents (pictured) the toddler's face is covered whenever he leaves his town due to his appearance being too confronting for many

Fatima Baraka, a Melbourne breast cancer survivor, heard of his story on Facebook and took it upon herself to help Yahya by flying him to Australia

'I just want my child to look as normal as possible so he can go outside and play with the other kids,' his father said

Walking is the next vital development which cannot take place without the assistance of his walker.

'Before the surgery he had never walked before. We were so excited that he took to the walker. He had just started walking on his own and we really need to build his confidence,' said Ms Baraka.

The family are appealing for the walker to be returned so the little boy can continue to be active - a vital aspect to his recovery.

The Moroccan born child, who lived in a small village six hours from Casablanca, was born deformed after complications in the womb stopped the bones in his face from fusing together.

'There was a big phone number in red, it was quite obvious that it was a cry for help of some sort and I found myself reaching for the phone and calling the number,' Ms Baraka said of the message which was posted by Yahya's neighbour

Despite his incredibly rare condition, Yahya managed to survive and grow into a happy and healthy toddler through the support of his adoring mother and father.

However socially, he was automatically an outcast as his appearance is considered too confronting for many.

Before his trip to Australia, the toddler's face was covered up whenever he left his small village.

Yahya's plight first went global when the father of his closest friend took to Facebook, pleading for medical professionals to help the boy lead a normal life.

From across the world, the post was read by Fatima Baraka, a Melbourne breast cancer survivor who was born in a village close to Yahya's.

'He's entered my heart...I'm so in love with this little boy,' Ms Baraka told Channel Seven's Sunday Night last year.

Dr Tony Holmes, who separated Bangladeshi-born twins Trishna and Krishna, will operate on Yahya in December

He completed a range of tests on Yahya in Melbourne, including CT and MRI scans, to see if he was suitable for surgery

'There was a big phone number in red [on the post], it was quite obvious that it was a cry for help of some sort and I found myself reaching for the phone and calling the number.

'He [Yahya's father] said 'I just want my child to look as normal as possible so he can go outside and play with the other kids'.'

Ms Baraka took it upon herself to search for a surgeon who would be willing to transform Yahya's face and soon found Melbourne reconstructive surgeon, Tony Holmes who separated Bangladeshi-born conjoined twins Trishna and Krishna.

She then travelled to Yahya's home where she met the toddler and his family for the first time before bringing them to Australia.

'I was quite shocked. I didn't think I would be shocked but I was,' Ms Baraka said of her first meeting with the family.

The operation will bring the two sides of Yahya's skull together and shape him a nose from his own skin

'I believe that it's the right of everybody to look human and this kid doesn't look human,' Dr Holmes said

'I was a little bit horrified to be honest.'

Yahya and his parents also met Dr Holmes after being flown to Melbourne where the three-year-old underwent a range of developmental tests from CT scans to MRI's, to confirm how his brain functions and if he was suitable for surgery.

Despite the serious risks involved, Dr Holmes soon agreed to operate on the toddler.

'He may not die if we don't operate on him, but he might if we do,' Dr Holmes told Channel Seven's Sunday Night.

'I believe that it's the right of everybody to look human and this kid doesn't look human.'

Yahya underwent surgery in December, when Dr Holmes is understood to have brought the two sides of his skull together and built him a nose with his own skin.



