Hisham is only 8 years old, but looking into his eyes, one can see resilience, tenacity and a fighting spirit. About a year ago he was severely burned when the gas tank in his house exploded.

The Story

When his father got a job in Cairo, he moved the entire family from Minya to live in the building where he would work as a security guard. One evening as his mother was preparing food for him and his siblings, the gas tank exploded, immediately killing his two siblings and causing Hisham to sustain 3rd degree burns for both him and his then pregnant mother. Hisham’s burns were concentrated on his face and hands, with the burns on his hands so severe that he cannot use them to grasp any item as the tissue and muscle damage is quite severe. Hisham’s lack of mobility in his hands has meant that he had to drop out of school and thus affected many aspects of his childhood, including education, socializing, and physical activity, among others. The social stigma due to his facial burns is another factor that hinders Hisham’s ability to live the life of an 8-year-old.

 

 

Hisham’s mother gave birth to a baby girl shortly after the gas tank incident and it was at that time that Hisham’s father abandoned them, leaving them with no income. It is thus that today Hisham, his mother and his baby sister all live in a 1-room household in Minya with Hisham’s maternal grandparents with no disposable income, barely surviving on what little retirement funds provided by the grandparents and little by way of hope for their future. Hisham’s 8-year-old life is not filled with the regular sounds of running feet, shouting children and boyish pranks… his life has come to a standstill and will remain so till he can get proper medical care…

The Solution

Ahl Masr will provide Hisham with the surgical and psychological intervention needed to enable his full recovery and allow him to embrace life again. Hisham’s interventions will target 4 operations, surgery for burns on left arm, surgery for burns on chest and Face, and structural Surgery for both hands. In addition, Post-Op treatment includes medication, ointment, creams, etc. will be provided along with psychological sessions.

 

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