“Mustafa Ghazwan, age 3, who lost his hearing in an American missile strike in Iraq nearly two years ago, heard sound again Tuesday.

“A cochlear implant, inserted in his ear at the University of California-San Francisco a month ago, was activated early Tuesday morning. By noon, it was playtime as usual for the toddler, back at his temporary home at Ronald McDonald House in San Francisco. He has lived there with his father Ghazwan, 33, since his arrival in the Bay Area in late December.

“The trip here was largely arranged and underwritten by members of the grassroots activist Ruth Group of Marin. The sponsor agency was No More Victims, brainchild of Cole Miller of Los Angeles, who has brought nine other young war victims from Iraq for treatment in the United States.

“Ruth Group leaders Amy Skewes-Cox of Ross and Ruth Friend of Mill Valley joined Miller for the crucial moment in a UCSF conference room when the implant was turned on. After several tense moments, Mustafa stopped playing with his puzzle and buried his head in his father’s chest, apparently responding to sounds pumped into his ear by audiologist Colleen Polite.

“He moved his head about, trying to figure out what was happening,” Miller said.

“I think he’s off to a fantastic start,” Polite said.

Over lunch at Ronald McDonald House, Ghazwan said he was both happy and sad at the day’s developments – happy for the gift to his son and sad that Mustafa’s mother, still in Iraq with their 1-year-old son, could not share the moment.

Marin IJ: Beth Ashley

Elizabeth Fernandez at the SF Chronicle also covers the big day.

“After spending half his short life in silence, Mustafa Ghazwan on Tuesday returned to the world of sound.

“He took to the puzzling noise with calm and stillness, putting aside his toy cars and puzzles and leaning into his dad.

“Then, when his doctor shook a clacker, he showed annoyance, made a face at her, wagged his finger in rebuke – and with logical swiftness, removed part of his new hearing device from his right ear. ”

Update: KGO TV has a report with a short video.