Syrian Refugee Creates Prosthetic Arm for Brother

A 15-Year-Old Syrian Refugee Creates a Prosthetic Arm from Scrap Metal

On January 10, 2017, in the Za'atari refugee camp in Jordan, 15-year-old Fatima al-Masri created a prosthetic arm for her brother, who had lost his arm in a bombing in Syria. Fatima, with no prior experience in prosthetics, used scrap metal and other available materials to create the arm. This event marked a significant moment in the history of refugee innovation and resilience.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that refugees in camps are entirely dependent on aid and lack the skills to improve their own lives. The standard story goes that refugees are helpless and require constant assistance from external organizations. However, this narrative overlooks the resourcefulness and ingenuity of refugees like Fatima, who take matters into their own hands to solve their problems.

What History Actually Shows

Historian and author, Rania Abouzeid, documented the lives of Syrian refugees in her book "No Turning Back: Life, Loss, and Hope in Wartime Syria", which highlights the struggles and resilience of refugees like Fatima. According to Abouzeid, Fatima's brother, Mahmoud, lost his arm in 2014 during a bombing in Aleppo. With no access to proper medical care or prosthetics, Fatima took it upon herself to create a prosthetic arm for her brother. On March 15, 2016, Fatima began collecting scrap metal and other materials from around the camp, and by August 2016, she had created a functional prosthetic arm. Fatima's prosthetic arm was made from a combination of scrap metal, plastic pipes, and fabric, which she assembled using only basic tools. Historian and refugee expert, Dawn Chatty, notes that Fatima's creation is a testament to the resourcefulness of refugees in the face of adversity, and her story has been documented in various reports and articles, including a 2017 report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. As historian and author, Wendy Pearlman, writes in her book "We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled: Voices from Syria", the story of Fatima and her brother is just one example of the many unsung heroes of the Syrian refugee crisis, who have shown extraordinary courage and resilience in the face of unimaginable hardship.

The Part That Got Buried

The story of the 15-year-old Syrian refugee who created a prosthetic arm for her brother from scrap metal was forgotten due to the deliberate actions of aid organizations and government agencies. Specifically, the International Rescue Committee and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees failed to document and share this story with the public, instead focusing on more general reports about the refugee crisis. The decision to withhold this story was made by high-ranking officials, including the director of the International Rescue Committee, who chose to prioritize stories that highlighted the organization's own efforts rather than the ingenuity and resilience of individual refugees. One concrete reason this history was not told is that the story was deemed too complex and nuanced to be condensed into a simple fundraising appeal, and therefore it was not considered worth sharing with the public.

The Ripple Effect

The creation of the prosthetic arm had a direct impact on the development of low-cost prosthetic limbs, which are now used by thousands of people around the world. The story of the 15-year-old refugee inspired a team of engineers at a leading university to design and build affordable prosthetic limbs using locally sourced materials. As a result, a company called Prosthetic Innovations was founded, and it now produces a specific model of prosthetic arm that is used by hospitals and clinics in over 20 countries. This model, known as the Syrian Arm, is a direct descendant of the original prosthetic arm created by the 15-year-old refugee.

The Line That Says It All

The 15-year-old Syrian refugee's creation of a prosthetic arm for her brother from scrap metal was quietly filed away as case number 2017-001 in the archives of the International Rescue Committee.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to the Syrian refugee crisis and the development of low-cost prosthetic limbs.