Last February, Life for Relief and Development delivered a shipment of 51 prosthetic limbs to the Prosthetic Limb Center in the Iraqi city of Fallujah.

These high-quality devices, which were provided by Life’s longtime partner AmeriCares, are being using on patients with missing hands or arms.

This project was the first of its kind in Fallujah, and it sparked the Prosthetic Limb Center to establish a new department devoted to treating patients who are missing upper limbs.

The devices were received with great joy and emotion.  Like in most other parts of the world, handicapped persons are often pushed to the margins of society, stigmatized because of their disabilities, and having their needs ignored.

Among the early beneficiaries of this project were:

1.  Mohamad Ahmad Jassem, who lost a limb in a car accident in 2009

2.  Yasser Latif Hamad, who lost a limb after a car bomb explosion in 2007

3.  Ali Hussein Odeh, who lost a limb after a car bomb explosion in 2006

4.  Abdullah Abdulsattar, who lost a limb during an attack on his town

This project has given renewed hope to a segment of the handicapped community in Iraq, which now knows that others are aware of their needs, and that something is being done to give them the freedom and job opportunities that come with a new prosthetic hand or arm.

One patient was overjoyed when he left the center with his new hand.  He offered lots of prayers for those who made it possible to receive the device, and he pledged to spread the word that people like him can now get help, thanks to AmeriCares and Life.