Crutches no more

Mohammed Fuad Ishteah was hit by a car on his way to school. He was rushed to hospital in Gaza with injuries to his right leg, but his condition was so bad that he was referred to a hospital in Egypt.

Doctors there decided that they had to amputate his leg below the knee. He was only nine years old at the time.

He used crutches for four years, but this had its own problems. He began to feel pain in his left leg when going up stairs, and he developed emotional problems after children started teasing him.

At the age of 13, he visited the Artificial Limbs and Polio Centre and was assessed by an orthopaedist. He decided that Mohammad could have an artificial limb, but he would first need a lot of physiotherapy to build up the strength of his right leg which he hadn't used for four years.

Physiotherapy

Mohammed has now started an exercise regime under the supervision of IR's physiotherapist. The exercises will strengthen his muscles and decrease swelling in the amputated area, but it will take at least three months before he will be ready to wear the brace.

The physiotherapist also taught Mohammed's family how to help him prepare for the day when he will begin to use the prosthetic limb.

Artificial Limbs Centre

The Artificial Limbs and Polio Centre is the only place in Gaza Strip where people like Mohammed who have lost a limb or are physically disabled can get artificial limbs fitted and be trained to walk in them.
The centre was established in 1976 but is struggling to cope with the increased demand for their services. Islamic Relief began to work with them in 2004 and is renovating the centre, retraining its staff, and introducing modern management methods and administrative tools. Islamic Relief also funded a physiotherapist for the centre.