CoolKid Rahma

Five year old Rahma was born with Spina Bifida. As a baby Rahma's parents took her to the hospital for surgery, but the surgery was unsuccessful and resulted in paraplegia, or lower limb paralysis.

Rahma's parents, a housewife and a laborer, were unable to afford further treatment for Rahma - just one of their four children. Rahma was confined to the house, unable to move, only to lay on a mattress.

Thanks to your support,  Rahma visited our program with Disability Action Network in Somaliland where she was assessed by DAN’s physiotherapy team and a plan of care was developed. After receiving three casts of plaster splints, to prevent deformities in her legs from developing, a knee-ankle-foot orthoses was made for her to stabilize her balance so she could walk.

Being able to not only stand for the first time, but begin to take her first steps, was life-changing both for Rahma and her parents. Her mother plans next to send Rahma to school, as Rahma has expressed eagerness to learn and socialize with other kids her age.

Somaliland, a self-declared state, internationally considered to be part of Somalia, is a post-war country where healthcare services have collapsed and livelihoods are recovering from the impact of war. Without your support, children like Rahma would be deprived from the medical care they urgently need.