A father has spoken out with devastating clarity about the nightmare his family endured after a surgeon at one of Britain's most renowned children's hospitals performed a series of botched operations on his young daughter, ultimately leading to an amputation. Dean Stalham appeared on ITV's Good Morning Britain alongside Dr Amir Khan to recount the traumatic experience of his 13-year-old daughter, Bunty, under the care of orthopaedic surgeon Yaser Jabbar at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).
A Catalogue of Surgical Failures
Bunty, who is one of 94 children identified as being harmed by Dr Jabbar, began treatment for a rare genetic bone condition called Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) at just 18 months old. She came under the surgeon's care when she was five years old. NF1 is a condition where tumours grow on nerves and skin; while there is no cure, treatment aims to manage symptoms.
Dean Stalham described to hosts Kate Garraway and Ranvir Singh how Dr Jabbar conducted five unsuccessful operations on his daughter. "He had an extremely large ego and he did flounce around the wards, spend a minute at the bed, and tell us that every operation was a success," Dean stated. "Including the amputation, how can that be a success?"
From Lengthening to Shortening: A Parent's Horror
The father detailed a gruesome sequence of surgical interventions. Initially, Dr Jabbar attempted to lengthen Bunty's leg using a piece of bone from her hip. When that failed, he removed the hip bone and concertinaed her bones together, which resulted in her leg becoming six inches shorter than the other. "That's when I thought 'What's going on here?' He experimented on her, I'm sure of that," Dean recalled, explaining this was the moment he formally raised complaints.
He described being fed a "dream of recovery" by the surgeon, with amputation only mentioned at the very end of the process. After the amputation, Dean claimed Dr Jabbar told the family he had left "three inches of perfect bone hanging down from her knee" to aid with prosthetics, before washing his hands of the case. Prosthetic specialists at St George's Hospital later contacted the family to report the bone was not straight.
Institutional Failures and a Fight for Accountability
Dean revealed he had instructed a solicitor to investigate Dr Jabbar two years before receiving any official communication from the hospital. His concerns initially "hit a brick wall," with another surgeon reportedly reviewing the case and finding no fault. The breakthrough came when he received a letter from GOSH stating Dr Jabbar had been suspended. "I was like 'Wow, I was right all along'," he said.
However, Dean asserted that the hospital's management has not accepted culpability. "The fight started again after that. Management are not accepting any culpability whatsoever on this," he told the GMB hosts.
Official Report Confirms Widespread Harm
The emotional interview followed the publication of a damning report by Great Ormond Street Hospital into the actions of Yaser Jabbar, who treated hundreds of children between 2017 and 2022. The review concluded that 36 of his patients suffered severe harm, 39 experienced moderate harm, and 19 mild harm. The consequences for children included chronic pain, deformities, permanent nerve damage, and amputations. The report noted that 642 other patients did not come to harm attributable to the surgeon.
Matthew Shaw, CEO of Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, issued a profound apology: "We are profoundly sorry to all the patients and their families who have been affected." He outlined that the hospital has made significant changes to its orthopaedic service and wider hospital protocols to help spot potential issues earlier and minimise the chance of such events recurring.
Life After Trauma: Bunty's Resilience
Despite the horrific ordeal, Dean shared that his daughter Bunty is now doing "great" and possesses a remarkable spirit. "She's up for trying anything," he said, recounting how she once wanted to be a gymnast. She currently enjoys horse riding, progressing to a canter. Dean acknowledged she sometimes pulls back when she reaches physical limitations, but her determination shines through.
The segment concluded with Ranvir Singh noting that Dr Jabbar is now understood to be living abroad and no longer holds a licence to practise medicine in the UK. Dean's poignant response was a question many viewers were left asking: "How can he sleep at night?"
The case has cast a stark light on patient safety, surgical accountability, and the long-term support for families navigating the aftermath of medical negligence within the NHS.
