Jehan is a mother from Al-Dhiyabiya, a town in Rural Damascus in South West Syria. She is also a civilian casualty of the country’s conflict. In 2012, as she returned to her home to collect her children’s belongings, she was hit by an exploding shell. The extent of her injuries convinced doctors at Al-Mouwasat Hospital in Damascus city they had little choice but to amputate both her legs.
Jehan spent two months in the hospital beginning the process of recovering both physically and mentally. A further blow was the fact that her husband was missing in the conflict. She says the years that followed were hard as she adjusted to life without mobility and as a single parent. “The transition from being an active mother and wife to someone who needed constant help was incredibly difficult,” she said.
Today Jehan is able to walk again thanks to the treatment she received at the WHO-supported Rehabilitation and Artificial Limbs Centre in Damascus. As a self-declared ‘empowered woman’, she now works at a printing store to support her children.
The transition from being an active mother and wife to someone who needed constant help was incredibly difficult.
Turning her life around was a painful process. It took four years before she felt able to approach the rehabilitation center, where she received a warm welcome. “The doctors were extremely supportive,” she said. “They immediately took measurements for my prosthetics, which were provided free of charge and fitted within a week. I received a month of training at the center to walk with my new limbs.”
Dr Rafif Dahia, head of the center, which treats all patients free of charge, says it has become a lifeline for Syrians with disabilities. “We’ve grown from treating 15 patients a month in 2001 to managing 50 to 60 cases today,” he said.
In 2023, WHO’s support in Syria helped over 1,350 people receive prostheses and 640 staff members were trained or retrained to ensure continuation of this essential work.
This story was first published by WHO in September 2024.
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