Sam 80 - a temporary name that stuck - looks nervous during his follow-up examination in May, three months after he was hit by an IED while walking home. Doctors said he's doing surprisingly well.

Sam 80, right, lost both of his legs during an IED explosion. Soon he'll be outfitted with a free prosthesis arranged through the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Army Col. Tom Curry, unseen at right, prepares to assess Sam 80's progress. "You never get used to the kids. They're always the hardest part," Curry says.

Doctors prepare to look over Sam 80 during a follow-up exam at the hospital. It's been a month since he was discharged.

Army Col. Tom Curry and Dutch surgeon Lt. Col. Jan Biert, in glasses, were instrumental in Sam 80's care. Here, they joke with their patient and his father during the boy's checkup. The doctors say Sam 80 is healing well.

Sam 80 is lifted onto an exam table by his father, who also formed a strong bond with the staff.

Army Col. Tom Curry shakes hands with Sam 80's appreciative father during an emotional goodbye after the checkup. "I know he'd be dead right now if it wasn't for this hospital," Curry says. "But then you think about what you're sending him back out to. You're sending him back to the place that did this to him. And that's just very hard."