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Name: Yousuf Halahla
Age: 13
Home: Kharas Al Khalil village, Hebron, Palestine
Occupation: Student
Family: 9 children
Expected Recovery Time: 3 months
Prognosis: Very good Yousuf comes from Palestine, where the ongoing conflict and current blockade on the areas has resulted in a medical and humanitarian crisis. This 13 year-old, who suffers from deformities in both legs, was given the opportunity to travel to Dubai for much needed surgery. Accompanied by his mother, Kareema, who left her younger children in the West Bank, it is expected that the specialist treatment will take 3 months.
Corrective Osteotomy:
Performed by Dr. Marc Sinclair and Dr. Chris Whately, of the Dubai Bone and Joint Centre, the corrective surgery took place during an 8 hour operation, when 5 bones were broken, and external fixatures placed onto both of Yousuf' legs. A metal plate was placed in his left thigh. "The external fixatures were applied to the bone and attached with wires and pins," said Dr. Sinclair. "Over the course of his treatment, a computer program will tell us exactly how much to change the settings of the fixature, and the progress of the correction." Recovery:
Immediately following the operation, Yousuf was experiencing a great deal of pain. As he recovers, and continues his rehabilitation, he will progress from the hospital bed, to a wheelchair, and slowly to crutches and finally, walking, unaided, with straight legs for the first time.
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