The Rockall Times 'Save an Injured Raghead' appeal

A single solitary tear runs down his charming but armless face. He manages to say something. The pale-faced nurse translates: "He says you're sitting on his foot."

It is testament to Ali Ismaeel Abba's courage that he can continue to make light of the situation when he hasn't got any arms — he hasn't got any arms for Christ's sake!

Unable now to bring a cup to his lips or even turn a key in the door to hope, he lays almost motionless as we pin a yellow ribbon to the bandages covering one of his stumps, helping him show his support for The Rockall Times' "Put a Yellow Ribbon On Everything Then Buy Our Paper to See What Publicity Addicted Celebrities Have Done the Same This Week" campaign.

We got here as soon as we heard about his fate and everyone else will now have to find another good-looking crippled boy for their campaign. Ali's ours. Having lost his family — and his arms — to the terrible war that has ravaged his country, even though it was entirely justified, Abba has little hope left.

He wanted to become a surgeon, he told us. But how will you be able to do that when you haven't got anything to hold the scalpel? we asked. His tears said it all.

He struck a pathetic figure as he desperately tried to take the ribbon off with his teeth to hand to a nurse before collapsing exhausted on his bed. His grief was apparent and it was hard not to cry as the photographer's lighting rigs displayed his burnt and crippled body in all its hideous glory.

But there is much that we can do for Ali and his less-photogenic compatriots who have been injured and maimed in this war. For starters, you can send very small amounts of money to this paper and then not worry about it. And you can buy this paper, so helping Ali and thousands like him by supporting our campaign for greater support for campaigns everywhere.

Every penny counts and could mean transforming a life. So don't just sit there looking at our heart-rending pictures, take out a subscription to The Rockall Times and you'll never need miss out on emotionally satisfying stories again.