Christina was not paid for this feature, but requested that Woman’s Own make a small donation to the Overseas Plastic Surgery Appeal, the charity to which Mr Riaz devotes much of his spare time.

Staring drowsily at the walls in the intensive care unit, Christina Matys knew things had to change. She’d just had a heart attack at the age of 42, and two years earlier had suffered two strokes.

Zoo staff are delighted to invite you to photograph Oisin, one of our giraffes, today at 12.00 noon.

Oisin was born in June 2001. He was rejected by his mother and had to be bottle fed by staff. Oisin was thriving for six months until he caught his leg under a door, and severely injured his right hind leg.

PLASTIC surgeons who, stuck their neck out for a baby giraffe were yesterday celebrating its return to full fitness.

Oisin the giraffe had been thriving in the surroundings of Belfast Zoo until he trapped a limb under a door in February, sustaining a 7cm by 4cm wound on his right hind leg.

THESE are the pictures that will warm the hearts of Ulster animal lovers. The picture on the left shows one-year-old Belfast Zoo giraffe Oisin getting his bandages off after undergoing a life-saving skin graft operation to heal a huge leg wound.

Oisin severely injured his right leg after catching it under a door.