AMMAN — “I have only one wish: to get my
spine fixed so I can live without pain.”
This was Leen’s answer when asked what her one
ultimate wish was.
اضافة اعلان
Leen, now 13, was only five when her mother
first noticed that her daughter’s
spine was out of alignment. When the mother took
her to the doctor, she was diagnosed with scoliosis, a sideways curvature of
the spine.
Unfortunately, it seemed like nothing could
be done; all of the orthopedists Leen saw said she cannot undergo any surgery
before puberty.
“As the years passed, the spinal curve got
more severe, as did the symptoms and complications. Her spine became more
twisted, making postural changes and forming a hunchback and a noticeable rib
hump,” Leen’s mother told
Jordan News over the phone.
Leen was complaining of a chronic pain in
her legs and
pelvis. “The poor child couldn’t even carry her bag to school,” the
parent said.
Eventually, the spinal curve reduced the amount
of space within Leen’s chest, causing breath shortness as her lungs began to
show some signs of atrophy, the mother added.
Medical intervention was required then, but
after her husband passed away, Leen’s mother, a mother of seven, could not
afford it.
“I receive monthly cash assistance from the
National Aid Fund; my son works at a chips factory, and my three youngest
daughters are sponsored by an orphan center,” she said.
One lucky day in 2018, when Leen was 10
years old, Masarrah, a non-profit organization dedicated to achieve the dreams
of children with diseases, visited the orphan center sponsoring her. This is
when her life began to change.
“Some children wanted toys, others wished
for iPads but my daughter only asked for medical treatment,” the mother said.
Masarrah then reached out Atfaluna, a
non-profit organization, which fully funded Leen’s treatment by referring her
to Mohammad Armouti, an orthopedic spine surgeon volunteering with the
organization.
During Leen’s first surgery, which took
place on 2019, Armouti used the cutting edge technique of “posterior tethering”
to correct and lengthen the deformed spine, allowing it to grow naturally.
The second and final surgery, called “spinal
fusion”, was conducted in June, 2021, during which the spine was further
straightened. The operation was performed jointly by Armouti and Mutaz Jadaan,
another orthopedic spine surgeon, neither of whom charged fees.
Both surgeries were performed successfully at
Abdali Hospital. The costs were completely covered by Atfaluna at a discounted
fee by the hospital based on an existing partnership between both parties.
“Leen’s case was a very hard one; she had a
65-degree scoliosis at a young age. However, we decreased the curve to 25
degrees and managed to stop its progression,” said the surgeon in a phone
interview with
Jordan News.
Founded in 2015, Atfaluna provides free yet
quality medical care for children in need with support from a team of volunteer
medical professionals, several private hospitals, labs, other local businesses
and individuals.
“When we receive a case, it first undergoes
socio-economic assessment to confirm the child’s true need,” explained Maisa
Thweib, head of Medical and Patient Affairs Committee at Aftaluna, in an
interview with
Jordan News. “The second phase would be evaluation by our
medical committee to assess if the case fulfills our selection criteria. If it
does, a treatment plan is made by a medical volunteer specialist. Eventually,
our fundraising committee secures the funds needed to move to treatment as a
last step.”
In collaboration with 59 healthcare
providers, the number of children treated by Atfaluna during last year reached
454 while that of performed surgeries and consultation visits stood at 134 and
616, respectively, according to the organization’s 2020 annual report.
“Thanks to Atfaluna, Leen’s body posture is
now better and the hunchback is fixed,” said Leen’s mother.
“Humble,
compassionate and fully devoted, Atfaluna’s staff made me feel as if I were the
one who paid for the treatment. I hope everyone knows about this organization,”
she added.
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