ALAN DOHERTY will celebrate his 19th birthday this weekend with a million-dollar chin.
He has made remarkable progress since starting a series of operations 18 months ago to give him his life's dream - a new chin.
Alan is still in New York awaiting two more "fine-tuning" operations, family friend Paul McBride said yesterday.
"He has to have some minor dental surgery and a procedure to sculpture and strengthen his chin", McBride said. "But he's delighted with his progress. We expect he will be in New York for at least another month."
Alan, from Letterkenny, Co Donegal, will have a private celebration with mum, Bernie, and friends who they have made in New York when he becomes 19 on Sunday.
He will also be honoured on December 6th at a gala charity dinner hosted by Celtic supporters' clubs in New York and New Jersey.
Alan was born with a rare condition called otofacial syndrome. His parents were told at birth that he was unlikely to survive, but he did, against massive odds.
He had no chin and had to breathe through a tube in his throat. He is one of just two people with the condition, and he was the first person in the world to undergo a series of operations for a new chin.
Doctors agreed to carry out the surgery when Alan was brought into the Mount Sinai Centre for assessment while in the US in 2006 for an athletics event organised by the Physically Challenged Irish and American Youth Team.
Irish-American organiser Bill Broderick asked the youngster whether there was anything he wanted. He replied: "A perfect chin."
Within months, McBride and other friends back home set up a fund-raising support committee.
The chin has already cost nearly €700,000 - which is why Alan calls it his million-dollar chin.