Surgery could make dreams of playing football a reality

Dubai: Twelve-year-old Anas Yousuf Jaber loves football, but he could never play it.

"I wish I could play football, but I cannot. I accept that," he told Gulf News through an interpreter from his hospital bed, where he was recovering from a charitable foot surgery that may finally help him get his wish.

Anas was born with clubfoot, in which the foot is turned in, and spinal bifida, in which the spine curves. For 12 years he has walked on the side of his foot, rubbing it raw. Due to his spinal bifida, he does not feel much pain in his feet, causing the wound to worsen. It got to the point that he had a gaping ulcer on the side of his foot, right up to the bone.

His mother, Rukia Hussain, said school was no walk in the park for Anas.

"Kids would taunt and bully him. They are not eager to be seen with him. He has one or two friends but they never come to our house. He has his friends and relatives in school and they understand his condition and do their best to protect him," she said.

"It's especially painful for him when it came time to play sports because he cannot join. He just watches," she added.

Rukia said watching her eldest son hobbling through life was heart-wrenching, although she had accepted it as God's will. And then, in February, she heard of Dubai-based paediatric orthopaedic surgeon Dr Marc Sinclair and his Little Wings Foundation, who was visiting Ramallah at that time.

She decided to pay him a visit.

Dr Sinclair met Anas and pronounced him a perfect candidate for surgery.

"It was just like some miracle coming my way. I have tried to do my best for my son and now he is being taken care of," Rukia said, smiling.

Long road

But it was a long road before Anas could get the surgery that would correct his clubfoot.

Anas's severe ulcer had to heal first. That proved easier said than done as medications such as anti-biotics were hard to come by in Palestine.

When Dr Sinclair went to Ramallah again in July, he saw Anas's condition had improved little. So he decided to bring the boy back to Dubai for surgery in September.

Other than surgery to correct his clubfoot, Anas also had plastic surgery on it to cover the gaping ulcer. He received treatment from a urologist for his incontinence problem, a complication of spinal bifida, and a neurologist to stimulate nerve endings in his foot.

Costs

The overall estimate of his hospital treatment and stay is around Dh300,000, plus Dh15,000 a month for a hotel apartment for Rukia and later Anas when he is well enough to be discharged. All costs are borne by the Little Wing Foundation.

Dr Sinclair told Gulf News that Anas's prospects were better after having the surgery.

"His foot will not be twisted anymore, he can walk long distances and this will relate to his chances for school, profession and living life," he said.

"He will never be an athlete, but he might be able to play a little football," he added.