Physically challenged Palestinian girl gets life changing treatment in Dubai

Gulf News

Physically challenged Palestinian girl gets life changing treatment in Dubai. Nine-year-old Salwa Hesham looks forward to a brand new life after getting a new prosthetic arm from Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. See more at: http://gulfnews.com/gntv

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00:00Born with only one arm, 9-year-old Salwa Hisham arrives in Dubai from the West Bank to get

00:17medical treatment through the help of the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, or PCRF,

00:23a non-political, non-profit organization dedicated to helping children and healing the wounds

00:28of war, occupation and poverty in the Middle East.

00:32Salwa, from Noor Sham's refugee camp in Tulkarem in the West Bank, was born with an underdeveloped

00:37left arm.

00:38The third of six children, Salwa's family cannot afford to have her arm treated.

00:43Her left arm is just above an inch past her elbow and was not fully developed when she

00:47was born.

00:48PCRF stepped in by providing her with a myoelectric-controlled prosthetic arm through the help of sponsors.

00:55Salwa's been fitted with a myoelectric prosthesis, which basically means that she has an electrode

01:01that picks up on her muscle electrical activity to generate the movement within the hand,

01:07so basic movements of opening and closing the hand.

01:10PCRF volunteers brought her to Dubai for a three-week stay so she can be fitted with

01:15a myoelectric-controlled prosthesis, which will use the existing muscles in her residual

01:20limb to control its functions.

01:23She'll be able to perform various activities with prosthetic arm and fingers.

01:27In terms of trying to use it as a normal arm or a normal hand, where she's grown up now

01:33for the last few years without having that hand there, and so she's developed all of

01:38her skills without needing to use it.

01:42And so trying to now integrate that and use that prosthesis, you know, children who have

01:48grown up with two hands.

01:50So I think just becoming accustomed to having it and understanding that she can use it as

01:55a tool to make things easier for her and more comfortable for her, from her general developmental

02:01skills to using it at home to try and get back to kind of the things that she enjoys

02:07doing, helping her mom out at home with her younger sibling, helping around the house

02:11with various chores.

02:14And I think one of the biggest things that has, you know, that she seems to be mentioning

02:20again and again is that from an aesthetic point of view, you know, having just the prosthesis

02:26there as well has made her feel a lot more confident and more comfortable.

02:30And I think from a self-image and a body image point of view, she's already become quite

02:35attached to the prosthesis, which is great to see.

02:38Salwa undergoes a two-hour occupational therapy daily to allow her left arm muscles to adjust.

02:43But she has not used them in nine years.

02:45Despite being physically challenged, Salwa's therapist says her progress exceeded expectations.

02:52She's done really well.

02:53I think with it being such an intense program over such a short space of time, it's been

02:58very tiring on her, but she's done incredible things with that arm and just her progress

03:05in terms of adjusting to using it, getting used to the weight of the arm and still trying

03:11to control the hand as well in using it in everyday activities, she's really progressed

03:17quite quickly, which is great to see.

03:19PCRF will continue to follow Salwa's progress until she turns 18.

03:23They have pledged to fit her with a new prosthetic arm once she outgrows her current arm.

03:28Salwa has nothing but gratitude in her heart.

03:31Her Dubai visit has given her new hope and a new life.

03:34Ayrish Idenbalieza for Golf News.

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