Key points
- Sidra received prosthetic arm after Gaza missile injury
- Sidra hopes to hug her father with new arm
- Prosthetics made remotely by Pakistani company Bioniks
- Gaza faces high child amputation rates amid invasion
ISLAMABAD: Eight-year-old Sidra Al Bordeeni wasted no time after returning from the clinic with her new prosthetic arm, eagerly hopping onto a bicycle in the Jordanian refugee camp where she lives. It was her first time riding since a missile strike in Gaza a year ago caused her to lose her arm.
Sidra was injured while taking shelter at Nuseirat School, one of several schools in Gaza that had been converted into temporary refuges from Israeli bombardments. Her mother, Sabreen Al Bordeeni, explained that Gaza’s collapsed healthcare system and the family’s inability to leave at the time meant doctors were unable to save Sidra’s hand, according to Reuters.
“She’s out playing, and all her friends and siblings are fascinated by her new arm,” Al Bordeeni said over the phone, repeatedly thanking God for this moment. “I can’t put into words how grateful I am to see my daughter happy.”
Capturing images
The prosthetic was made more than 4,000 kilometres away in Karachi by Bioniks, a Pakistani company that uses a smartphone app to capture images from various angles and create a 3D model for custom prosthetics.
Anas Niaz, the CEO, said the social enterprise has fitted over 1,000 custom arms within Pakistan since 2021 — funded through a combination of patient payments, corporate sponsorship, and donations — but this was the first time they have provided prosthetics to those affected by conflict overseas.
Sidra and three-year-old Habebat Allah, who lost both arms and a leg in Gaza, underwent several days of remote consultations and virtual fittings. Niaz then flew from Karachi to Amman to meet the girls and personally deliver the company’s first international prosthetics.
Donations from Pakistanis
Sidra’s device was funded by Mafaz Clinic in Amman, while donations from Pakistanis covered the cost of Habebat’s. Entesar Asaker, CEO of Mafaz, said the clinic partnered with Bioniks because of its affordability, remote services, and ability to provide virtual troubleshooting.
Niaz revealed that each prosthetic arm costs about $2,500 — considerably less than the $10,000 to $20,000 price tag for alternatives made in the United States.
Although Bioniks’ arms are less advanced than US-made versions, they offer a high degree of functionality for children, and the remote fitting process makes them more accessible than options from countries like Turkey and South Korea.
“We plan to supply limbs to people in other conflict zones, such as Ukraine, and become a global company,” Niaz said.
Advanced prosthetics
Worldwide, most advanced prosthetics are designed for adults and seldom reach children in war zones, who require lighter limbs and replacements every 12 to 18 months as they grow.
Niaz added they are exploring funding options for future replacements for Sidra and Habebat, noting the cost would not be excessive.
“Only a few components need to be replaced,” he explained, “the rest can be reused to help another child,” according to Reuters.
Bioniks sometimes incorporates popular fictional characters into its children’s prosthetics, such as Marvel’s Iron Man or Disney’s Elsa, a feature that Niaz said helps children emotionally accept their limbs and encourages daily use.
Highest child amputation rates
Gaza currently has around 4,500 new amputees, in addition to 2,000 pre-existing cases before the war, many of them children, making it one of the highest child amputation rates per capita in recent history, according to the UN humanitarian agency OCHA in March.
An April study by the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics found that at least 7,000 children have been injured since Israel’s massacre in Gaza began in October 2023. Local health officials say more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed, nearly a third of whom are children.
The World Health Organization has stated that Gaza’s healthcare system is “on its knees” due to Israel’s border closures, which have restricted critical supplies and left the wounded unable to access specialist care amid waves of patients.
Remote treatment
“Where healthcare professionals and patients can barely meet, remote treatment bridges a vital gap, allowing assessments, fittings, and follow-ups without the need for travel or specialised centres,” said Asadullah Khan, Clinic Manager at ProActive Prosthetic in Leeds, UK, which provides artificial limbs and trauma support.
Bioniks hopes to scale up such remote solutions, but funding remains a significant challenge, and the company is still seeking viable partnerships, according to Reuters.
Sidra is still getting used to her new arm, on which she now wears a small bracelet. For much of the past year, when she wanted to make a heart shape — a simple gesture requiring both hands — she had to ask someone else to help. This time, she formed the shape herself, took a photo, and sent it to her father, who remains trapped in Gaza.
“What I’m most looking forward to is finally using both my arms to hug my father when I see him,” she said.
