Injured Ali receives new arms
Specialists in London are fitting Ali Ismael Abbas, the Iraqi boy who became a symbol for the ravages of war in Iraq, with new arms.
Ali, 13, and 14-year-old Ahmed Mohammed Hamza, will be seen for the first time by specialists at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Roehampton, south west London.
Ali lost both his arms in a bombing raid on a Baghdad, which killed most of his family, including his parents and his brother.
He suffered horrific burns in the raid and was moved to Kuwait for treatment and plastic surgery, before travelling to Britain.
Ali and Ahmed are now living in a house in Kingston, Surrey, provided for them by the Limbless Association.
Ahmed lost his left leg and right hand in an attack by coalition troops.
The assessment of the boys today is the first step in them receiving new limbs.
Ali’s prosthetic arms are expected to cost around £20,000. Specialists have said that he should be able to live a virtually normal life after the new limbs are fitted.
However, they stressed that his rehabilitation would take time.
Robin Cooper, a clinical specialist in prosthetics at the hospital, said: “It very much depends on him. We can give him the tools, but the real work comes from him.
“We would expect him to be able to accomplish the tasks he is determined to do. We have had people who have had the same level of loss as him who fly light aircraft or drive cars.”
Britons raised thousands of pounds for Iraqi child victims of war and amputees after the media picked up Ali’s plight.
He and Ahmed landed in a private jet at RAF Northolt in west London on Thursday.
Kuwait’s health minister, Mohammed al-Jarrallah, accompanied the two boys and their relatives to the airport and said their initial visit was expected to last three months.
Kuwaiti authorities have announced that they are committed to caring for the two boys.
