Fatima, a mother of a child with disabilities in war-torn Syria

A child born with cerebral palsy

My name is Fatima and I am originally from rural Aleppo. Shortly after I got married, my husband and I fled to Turkey in 2021 because of the conflict. We spent five years there before deciding to return to Syria.

Aesha was born last year, after I returned to Syria. She is my second child. After a few months, I knew something was wrong. She was late to sit, stand, and walk. People kept telling me that she might have developmental delays, but I did not know what was happening.

Eventually, Aesha was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, which causes muscular atrophy.

Rehabilitation makes a difference

Relatives told us about the Salah Al Din Clinic in Aleppo. They themselves had previously visited the clinic and were aware of the available physical therapy services there.

I was told that physical therapy is good for children like Aesha.  She started rehabilitation sessions last January. We come by car every week for therapy. At first, she attended two sessions per week. Today I can see the difference. She has made significant progress, and that gives me hope.

Aesha had weakness in the neck muscles and poor control of neck movements. She was unable to roll while lying down, a developmental milestone typically achieved by infants around 4 months of age. She was also unable to sit independently.

Although she could hold objects due to the palmar grasp reflex, she was unable to release them intentionally. This limitation affected her ability to feed herself, play, and participate in activities with other children. She was also unable to stand or walk despite being of walking age. This significantly limited her participation in play and social interaction. It also increased the caregiving requirements on me.

To repeat exercises

With the HI physical therapist, Aesha does exercises to help her develop the strength and balance needed for everyday movements. The therapy focuses on improving her posture, stability, and mobility, while supporting her overall development and helping her reach milestones that may be more challenging because of her condition.

“Aesha is 17 months. She now has full control of neck muscles and her trunk. She can transit independently from lying to sitting and she can crawl. She can use both hands for grasping and releasing objects during feeding, play, and some daily activities, stand with minimal support, and to walk with assistance. The journey is still difficult as the condition requires long term and continuous follow-up to ensure sustained improvement and to maximize the child's functional abilities and independence over time.”

- Ramziah Albitar, HI Health Specialist  

How to continue care at home

The HI team explained to me the underlying condition of Aesha, the treatment approach, and the importance of sensory and visual stimulation. I was trained by the HI physical therapist in the prescribed therapeutic exercises during therapy sessions to implement home exercise and continue care. HI Health Specialist Ramziah explains:

“To improve trunk control, muscle strength, and the use of both upper limbs during activities, we will ask Fatima to reproduce the following exercises: Aesha sits in a supported sitting position with the necessary assistance. Fatima uses toys and visual or auditory stimuli to encourage Aesha to use both hands. Aesha's trunk is gently guided from side to side while encouraging her to maintain her sitting position and actively engage in the activity.”