After 14 Years Boy Receives the Gift of Walking - Fortis Hospital Bangalore

1. After 14 Years Boy Receives the Gift of Walking - Fortis Hospital Bangalore Walking maybe something very natural to many of us. Nothing amazing about it right? Well, for some it may be more than natural: a supernatural phenomenon indeed! So was the case with Hameed Hyder, a 14-year-old from Iraq, whose experience of life was quite different from the rest of those his age. Suffering from Cerebral Palsy, a neurological disorder that primarily affects body movements and muscle coordination, Hameed had battled this giant from birth until a breakthrough surgery changed his life completely. HOW DOES CEREBRAL PALSY AFFECT BODY AND WHAT CAUSES IT? When a person is affected by Cerebral Palsy (CP), the muscles either contract too little, too much, or both at the same time. In some cases the limbs are extremely stiff, forcing them into awkward positions thus resulting in excruciating pain. The fluctuations in the contraction of muscles can make the limbs shake, tremble or writhe. Cerebral Palsy affects the entire balance and coordination of the body. For some people, tasks like walking and sitting become difficult to perform, while for others even grasping a small object like a pen becomes challenging. CP is caused due to an injury or abnormal development of the brain. The factors which can lead to CP are accident, substance abuse, deprivation of oxygen to the brain and in some cases injury before, after or during delivery. For years Hameed was confined to a wheelchair, and suffered from severe disabilities in his forearms, both legs and feet. In his desperation to find a cure, he finally arrived in India. Upon further medical investigations it was found that Hameed also suffered from congenital heart disease, a problem in the structure of the heart that may cause rapid breathing, bluish skin, poor weight gain, and tiredness. Further, these deformities can lead to slowing down of blood flow, flow in the wrong direction or complete blockage. Seeking international patient services in India , Hameed had come to Fortis Hospital in Bangalore for treatment for his immobility. But upon further examination treating his heart condition became the foremost priority. The heart condition had resulted in right ventricle being divided into two portions by muscle bundles, causing difficulty in breathing. ″It was also important to restore the effort tolerance of this patient to normal by correcting the heart defect because any patient with a physical deformity has to put in double the effort of a normal person to walk or exercise ″ - Dr. Joseph. Post cardiac surgery, Hameed was referred to Dr. Mohan Puttaswamy, consultant reconstructive orthopaedic surgeon at Fortis Hospital in Bangalore After a thorough neuro and deformity assessment by the team, Hameed was taken into an arduous 2 stage surgery to bring him back on his feet. In stage one, Doctors performed a tendon transfers in order to correct the deformity in his right forearm. This helped restore motor function. During stage two, the right and left foot deformities were corrected. Post the first and second stages,he had to undergo another surgery in order to straighten his right knee. After a strenuous month and half treatmentand therapy, Hameed has shown a remarkable improvement. In 14 years, this is the first time he is walking. He and his family are extremely joyous with the outcome and are ever thankful to God and the team at Fortis for this life changing moment. Who would've thought that being able to walk could redefine your life? Well, isn't it true that you really start valuing thingsand realising privileges only when you've experienced the absence and loss of it?