In Syria, Enas is walking towards her future

First steps towards independence

When you see Enas playing with her sisters and laughing with her friends, it's hard to imagine the challenges she has had to overcome. Born with a congenital malformation above the left knee, she was forced to learn early how to overcome the obstacles in an environment not always adapted to her needs.

“It was hard for her. She couldn’t walk or go out with her friends”, says Mustafa, Enas’s father.

At the age of two, Enas was unable to move around unaided. Her family was referred to Aqrabat Hospital, a specialist centre and an HI partner. Enas soon received her first prosthesis, a simple but essential piece of equipment that would change her life.

Thanks to the support of the team at Aqrabat Hospital, she was able to find her balance, then learn to walk and, above all, discover the world around her.

For this little girl, walking means being able to play hide-and-seek in the playground, running to meet her friends or standing up to answer a question in class. Being able to move around independently allows her to assert herself, take part in different activities and feel included.

A prosthesis adapted to each stage of Enas’s life

Since her first prosthesis was fitted, Enas has grown and her needs have changed. She has received four different prostheses over the years, each adapted to her growth and progress. However, each replacement has meant a new learning curve – walking, running and climbing with a new prosthesis requires patience. According to Fatima, the prosthetic technician who has looked after Enas since she was two years old, the young girl has risen to these challenges brilliantly:

“Enas has adapted perfectly. She sees her prosthesis as an integral part of herself.”

The technicians at the Aqrabat hospital, working closely with the rehabilitation teams, ensure that each prosthesis is adapted, functional and comfortable. This meticulous work enables people like Enas to gain valuable independence of movement. Today, Enas can run, play and climb with her friends.

A place of care and solidarity

Rehabilitation is a global process, aimed at restoring autonomy and enabling each person to live a full life. The HI and hospital teams make sure that the rehabilitation process  includes moments of complicity and learning. The children they work with learn not only to walk or run, but also to dream and project themselves into the future.

Aqrabat hospital therefore offers more than just a prosthesis. Children like Enas benefit from physiotherapy sessions, psychological support and group activities. These moments of play and interaction with other children with prostheses create a space for sharing and solidarity. Enas has benefited from this caring environment throughout her rehabilitation process and a relationship of trust has developed between the little girl and the Aqrabat Hospital team:

“Enas loves me a lot, and I love her back“, Fatima tells us.

Refound autonomy

Today, Enas is a happy little girl, full of life. Her days are spent playing with her two sisters, laughing with her friends and attending nursery school. For Enas, this is just the beginning. Inspired by the help she has received, she already has a dream. She wants to become a doctor so that she can help other children regain their autonomy:

“One day, I'll fit prostheses on other people who need them,” she says.