Following an arduous, but ultimately successful treatment in the US, Majid, a 13 year old double amputee, has recently returned to his family in Iraq. Once wheelchair-bound, Majid, is now looking forward to a hopeful future.

A Journey for Recovery

Today, you will find Hussein lying on a hospital bed in the United States, recovering from his operations. He is a ten-year old boy from Iraq, and is missing his left hand and his left eye, with severe burns covering most of his body and face. He has been going from hospital to hospital for two years now, trying to get treatment for injuries that he obtained after he stepped on a land mine in Najaf Al-Shareef, an area in southern Iraq.

During the accident, Hussein incurred some memory loss and when asked about what happened, says "I can't remember anything except that I was on a trip with my father and my uncle." His father was able to describe the accident somewhat, saying "We were on a visit to the cemetery, and Hussein was running and playing in front of us. All of a sudden, everything changed around us. There was a flash from the ground, a horrible sound, ...we rushed to bring him to the nearest hospital. The sight was painful, very painful."

Nonetheless, his doctors consider Hussein among the lucky few, as most people that encounter land mines either die directly from the explosion or before they arrive at a hospital. Fortunately for him, Hussein was able to reach a hospital in time to save his life.

Following the explosion, Hussein entered a coma that lasted for many days, and his medical treatment continued for more than a year and a half. He underwent four subsequent operations to treat his injuries and alleviate the pain, much of which affected his brain. Hussein was then moved to a specialized hospital in Baghdad where he was only allowed to stay for a short period of time. After that, doctors were forced to remove him due to the limited medical facilities and resources facing the large number of patients that still required medical attention. The future looked grim for Hussein, for it was unlikely that he would be able to get the proper treatment in Iraq after leaving the hospital.

During that time, IOM's Physicians learned of Hussein's situation, and through the IOM / MoH Medical Evacuation Programme arranged a host institution and medical evacuation for Hussein.

Today over 6000 Iraqis urgently need medical evacuation outside of Iraq for medical treatment which is not available in country. Many of these are children, suffering from conditions such as leukemia and cancers which can not be treated within the country due to the ongoing conflict and break down in medical infrastructure. IOM is working closely with the MoH to find solutions for as many patients as possible, whilst at the same time working with donors and the UN Health Cluster to build existing health infrastructure within the country.

Hussein dreams of being able to see again and play with his friends in Iraq. "I hope to play football, and that I will be healthy," he says, his eyes shining with excitement and anticipation. Thanks to the work of Iraqi and foreign medical team and IOM Iraq, that dream is now a possibility.