August 4, 2008 Reflection on a battle lost Play video

(NECN: Greg Wayland) - One heartbeat can make the difference between hope and heartbreak. Take the story of Rakan Hassan, an Iraqi boy who got a new chance at life thanks to doctors in Boston in 2005. He was treated in Boston after mistakenly shot and paralyzed by American troops in Iraq.

Dr. Larry Ronan helped treat Rakan and flew half-way around the world to get him.

Ray Tye, a Boston philanthropist, agreed to pay for everything -- a Jewish man became the benefactor of a Muslim child.

Kevin Cullen told his story in the Boston Globe.

Click here to read the full article.

Now, there is confirmation that the teenager, still recovering from his wounds, was killed by a bomb on June 16. Rakan's brother-in-law and guardian, Nathir Bashir Ali, suspects insurgents put a bomb in or next to the house. He believes the house was targeted either because of his associations with the Iraqi government or because the family had accepted help for Rakan from Americans.