On 21st March 2017, 9-year-old Bakr was injured in an air attack in the west of Mosul. After having both of his legs amputated, he is now recovering in a hospital on the outskirts of the city. Handicap International is providing him with physiotherapy care and psychosocial support.
Bakr is lying in a hospital bed with a lost look in his eyes. He turns to his father and mutters softly: “It hurts Dad, it really hurts.”
Just a few days ago, he was playing in the street with his friends in Mosul, when they were hit by a bomb. Bakr was rushed to hospital where doctors amputated both of his legs.
Since then, he has been in a state of shock and suffers a lot. The painkillers don’t stop him thinking about what happened.
“He still hasn’t accepted the situation,” says Karam, one of Handicap International’s psychosocial workers, who visits him every day. “When I see him, he asks me if his legs are going to grow back. He also says he’s been having a lot of nightmares since his accident.”
Fatima, a Handicap International physiotherapist, enters the boy’s hospital room and starts to do a series of rehabilitation exercises with him.
“I met Bakr just after he reached the hospital,” she explains. “Since then, I’ve visited him every day. I use our sessions to help him get used to his situation. It’s going to take him time to accept it, but I’m hopeful. Bakr is still a child and children usually find it easier to adapt.”
Our team will talk to a local partner organisation about Bakr, to arrange for him to be fitted with prosthetic legs in the near future.
Moïse, who is 14 years old, lost his leg in 2010 when Haiti was struck by a powerful earthquake. With support from Humanity & Inclusion (HI), he has now been fitted with a prosthesis. He meets the HI team regularly to ensure regular adjustments can be made as he grows.
After Haiti was hit by an earthquake on January 12th 2010, Humanity & Inclusion (HI) launched one the biggest emergency responses in its history. The organisation continues to provide support to people with disabilities today.
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