In 2003, while serving on a NATO peacekeeping mission in post-war Bosnia, British Staff Sergeant Wayne Ingram was shown a photograph that changed two lives forever. The image was of four-year-old Stefan Savic, a boy born with a severe Tessier facial cleft. His eyes were forced unusually far apart, he had no proper nose, and a large bony protrusion threatened to block his single remaining airway. Without specialist surgery, doctors believed Stefan had only a few years to live.

Wayne, then serving with the 9th/12th Royal Lancers, met Stefan’s father, Milos, during a local meeting in the town of Laktaši. Moved by the child’s condition and the family’s limited options in a region still recovering from conflict, Wayne made a personal vow: he would raise the money needed to give Stefan a chance at life.

What followed was a 13-year campaign of determined fundraising. Wayne organised charity football matches that brought former warring communities together, collected donations outside supermarkets, wrote to celebrities, and even walked long distances backwards for charity. In total he raised approximately £160,000. Renowned craniofacial surgeon Professor David Dunaway waived his professional fees, but the funds covered flights, accommodation, hospital costs, and multiple complex operations at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.

Stefan’s first major procedure in October 2003 lasted 12 hours. Surgeons carefully reconstructed the bones of his face, moved his eyes closer together, and began building a new nose. Further surgeries followed over the years: improvements to his nasal airway, adjustments as his skull grew, cartilage grafts from his ribs and ear to refine the nose, and orthodontic work to realign his teeth. Wayne was present for each operation, supporting Stefan and his family through long recoveries.

The results were transformative. Stefan, once at risk of life-threatening complications including restricted breathing and possible blindness, recovered fully. Today he is a young adult living in Bosnia. He works in a factory, plays keyboard in a folk band, and has a long-term girlfriend. Wayne and Stefan remain close, speaking regularly and meeting when they can. Wayne has described their bond as that of family.

Wayne Ingram, who later left the army due to injury and became a paramedic, was awarded an MBE for his fundraising efforts and received a humanitarian award in Serbia. His story is frequently cited as an example of individual compassion cutting through the aftermath of conflict.

From a single photograph shown amid the ruins of war to a lasting friendship spanning more than two decades, the journey of Wayne Ingram and Stefan Savic stands as a powerful reminder of what determined kindness can achieve.

Sources

• SWNS / Discover SWNS reports on Wayne Ingram and Stefan Savic (2025)
• The Sun feature on the soldier’s 20-year promise (2025)
• The Epoch Times profile of Stefan’s recovery (2023)
• The Mirror coverage of Stefan’s final operations (2016)