Shahd’s Story: A Prosthetic Hand for a Girl in Aleppo Countryside

Shahd was born with a malformation in her left hand. Now 10 and in fourth grade, she has faced difficulties at school and spent years waiting for medical support.

Her father took her to health centres across Aleppo and Afrin, but none could provide the help she needed.

At school, Shahd was bullied because of her hand. Her father says she would come home in tears. At home, she watched her brothers and sisters do things she found difficult. During meals, she would tell her family that she wanted to be like them.

Her family continued looking for treatment, but finding the right support proved difficult.

A Human Appeal mobile clinic eventually arrived in Shahd’s village of Qabtan Al-Jabal. A village elder told her father that the organization was helping people born with malformations who needed prosthetics.

Shahd’s family registered for assistance, and her case was accepted. Around four months later, Human Appeal contacted them to arrange an assessment at home. The family then took Shahd to hospital, where a doctor examined her.

The team initially considered an electronic prosthetic hand. However, the doctor explained that this option would not be possible until Shahd turned 18. Instead, she was fitted with a cosmetic prosthetic hand for her left hand.

Shahd’s father hopes the prosthetic will help her feel more comfortable at school and reduce the bullying she has experienced.

“We hope this cosmetic prosthetic helps her get rid of bullying at school,” he says.

He also emphasizes that Shahd is one of many children in Syria who need similar assistance. “My daughter is only one of hundreds of cases like her,” he says.

For families who cannot find or afford appropriate treatment, access to medical services can make a significant difference. Human Appeal’s Medical Fund supports patients in need of medical care, including treatment and prosthetic assistance where eligible.

Donations to the open fund are pooled and allocated where medical care is needed most.

By Human Appeal

Canada