Nothing stops brave little Anowar!

At the age of five, as he was leaving school in high spirits, Anowar was hit by a speeding lorry. HI offered him immediate support adapted to his needs and helped him return to school.

Since his accident, HI has done everything possible to help Anowar live a normal life again. Its team began by providing him with psychological support and rehabilitation care to prepare him for his prosthesis and taught him how to walk again. HI also approached his school, which had barred him because of his disability.

Anowar is back at school – with a smile on his face

"After his accident, Anowar was let down by his school. For them, a child with disabilities should go to a special school. We talked it over with them, negotiated, and Anowar was allowed back to join his friends. He could not have been happier," says Redowan, a physiotherapist who works with HI's mobile team and provides Anowar with regular care.

Anowar never skips a rehabilitation session

"Anowar is my best patient. He is very brave. Sometimes I go to his home, but most often the sessions take place at the orthopaedic-fitting centre run by HI in the camp," adds Redowan. "We do balance exercises and then I teach him to coordinate his movements and care for himself to head off future problems, such as finding out where the prosthesis rubs him, which could cause him sores. He would not be able to wear a prosthesis otherwise. Anowar is very determined when it comes to doing his exercises at home. He applies everything he learns. He is open and talkative. He tells me what worries him and what he needs, so we work well together."

A rough game of football got the better of his third prosthesis

Three years after his accident, he took great pride in being able to walk around easily with his prosthesis. He explored all the possibilities offered by his "new leg", but today nothing seems to be going right. Anowar broke his prosthesis during a football match, and he cannot wait to be fitted with his new one. It will be the third since his accident. Guramia, his big brother, goes everywhere with him because he can't walk anymore. "Anowar feels sad and lost without his prosthesis,” says Guramia. “He has more time to think and sometimes the accident comes back to haunt him. I carry him to school at the moment. I don't want him to miss class. He's one of the best students! My brother remembers everything he reads and loves English. He wants to know the English word for everything he sees. It can get quite tiring at times," he adds with a smile.

Anowar has to work even harder to prepare his leg to be fitted with a new prosthesis

"Learning to wear a prosthesis is a long, hard process. It is vital the patient and their family understand that it will take a lot of effort and many hours of exercise throughout their lives. In this country, our main challenge is to get patients to come back and to involve them. Fortunately, Anowar's family is extremely supportive and understands the concept of long-term rehabilitation," explains the physiotherapist. "I wish all my patients had such a supportive family. This child is a role model. When my other patients feel down, I tell them about him. Three of them are also children with lower limb prostheses and Anowar really inspires them."