Against all odds: I have a dream

Hussain Ghaleb Bakhalaf, 17, has defied the odds of being born with bilateral hypoplasia of the upper limbs, a rare disorder that stopped the bones of his arms from growing properly when he was still in the foetal stage.

Unable to play like other kids and denied entry in a number of schools, Bakhalaf, now an 11th grader at the Dubai Secondary School, has never felt disheartened.

"He is a strong boy," said Ghaleb, his father, a Yemeni, who has been working in the UAE for 25 years.

When he was seven, Bakhalaf visited a specialised hospital in Germany where he learnt how to write, eat, wash, change his clothes and defend himself using his feet.

Reconciliation

"As I have learnt to reconcile with my condition, I can cope with life much better," he said.

In 1996, Bakhalaf joined the Rashid Paediatric Therapy Centre but never felt like he belonged there and left after six months.

After he left, his father received a call from the centre about a good Samaritan who wanted to pay for his treatment. But Ghaleb, who works with the Dubai Police rescue unit, declined as his boss had promised him help.

"Mohammad Eid Al Mansouri, Head of the Ground Rescue Department back then, managed to get us a grant from Dubai Police and made all the arrangements for Bakhalaf to go to a specialised centre in Britain," Ghaleb said.

Tough choices

Physicians at the centre suggested surgically removing his hands and attaching artificial arms and hands, but his father refused, saying that it was a decision for Bakhalaf to make when he grew up.

"They trained me to use my feet and provided me with an iron cane with a hook at the bottom and a plastic mouthpiece at the top to help me put my pants on," said Bakhalaf.

Ali Khamis, one of his teachers, said Bakhalaf's handwriting – or orthography – is beautiful.

His ultimate dream is "to have two arms". "My need is only two arms with which to draw a brighter future. I want to go on my own and stop at nothing. But I need help, not sympathy."

He hopes to get a driving licence some day and pursue a degree in computer engineering and become a role model for the disabled.