Pics: 8yr old who lost hands to infection gets double-hand transplant | Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog

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Wednesday 29 July 2015

Pics: 8yr old who lost hands to infection gets double-hand transplant

An 8-year-old boy who lost his hands and feet to a serious infection has become the youngest patient to receive a double-hand transplant, surgeons said Tuesday.

Zion Harvey's forearms were heavily bandaged but his hands were visible as he flashed some big smiles Tuesday at a hospital news conference. He demonstrated his still-delicate grip and described waking up with new hands as "weird at first, but then good."

The boy, from the Baltimore suburb of Owings Mills, Maryland, received the transplant earlier this month at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, though doctors did not publicly disclose the nearly 11-hour operation until this week.

A 40-person medical team used steel plates and screws to attach the old and new bones. Surgeons then painstakingly reconnected Zion's arteries, veins, muscles, tendons and nerves.

"He woke up smiling," said Dr. L. Scott Levin, who heads the hand transplant program. "There hasn't been one whimper, one tear, one complaint."

Zion, a bright and precocious child Levin described as having "a maturity that is way beyond his 8 years," contracted sepsis as a toddler. The resulting multiple organ failure forced the amputation of his hands and feet; by age 4, he needed a kidney transplant, receiving the organ from his mother.

Leg prosthetics have allowed Zion to be very active, including walking, running and jumping. He learned to use his forearms to write, eat and play video games and has been attending school.

Physicians hope he'll now be able to achieve more milestones, including his goals of throwing a football and playing on the monkey bars.
"It was no more of a risk than a kidney transplant," his mother, Pattie Ray, said. "So I felt like I was willing to take that risk for him, if he wanted it, to be able to play monkey bars and football."
Several adults in the U.S. have received double-hand or double-arm transplants in the past few years. Hospital officials in Philadelphia believe Zion is the youngest person to have the surgery, which requires a lifetime of immune-suppressing drugs to ensure the body doesn't reject the new hands.

Zion already had been taking anti-rejection drugs because of his donated kidney, which made him a good candidate for the hand transplant, doctors said.

Doctors say Zion will spend several weeks in physical rehab at the hospital before returning home. Two rows of relatives attended the news conference, and they stood to be recognized at Zion's request.

"I want to say to you guys, thank you for helping me through this bumpy road," he said.
The donor's family chose to remain anonymous.

Children's Hospital said it would not hold Zion's family liable for any costs beyond that which may be covered by medical insurance.



Source: AP

74 comments:

Anonymous said...

saw it in daily mail!

AbokiDaWarriBoy said...

Awww such a cute....

Unknown said...

God is great! Happy 4 him.

Unknown said...

Such a cute little man.

Apple Berry said...

Wow.... It's sad that a little boy like this has had to be in and out of hospital for most of his young life. But thank God it will soon be a thing of the past. He can grow up like his mates now.

Unknown said...

Awwww cute lil boy tnk God 4 him








*lib's namesake*

PURPLE said...

*Dries tears* Too touching. And we have hands and legs, we take them for granted

Unknown said...

Lil man is so happy....

Unknown said...

Lucky boy.

7F098C19 said...

If your God is impotent, my God is potent. He's omini potent. If ur God is tasteless, my God is sweet and miraculous. Thank you Master Jesus. Engr Emy

Davido's driver said...

Aww they should do for that igbo woman that her hand was chopped off

Unknown said...

Oh mine! So touching! I thank God for the boy's life. This is incredible. For the surgeons to have reconnected Zion's arteries, veins, muscles, tendons and nerves, after the transplant, is just a miracle. May God be praised!

Unknown said...

Oh mine! So touching! I thank God for the boy's life. This is incredible. For the surgeons to have reconnected Zion's arteries, veins, muscles, tendons and nerves, after the transplant, is just a miracle. May God be praised!

Unknown said...

Oh mine! So touching! I thank God for the boy's life. This is incredible. For the surgeons to have reconnected Zion's arteries, veins, muscles, tendons and nerves, after the transplant, is just a miracle. May God be praised!

Anonymous said...

such a brave child, wish him a quick recovery.

Unknown said...

Thank God for the boy,I wish him all the best in life.

Unknown said...

Such a cute boy am happy for him and for his. Mum too!

Anonymous said...

EHYA..DS HND TRANSPLANT WIL D HND B GROWIN??CUZ IT LUKS YOUNGER,...TOMJERRYSWIT

Unknown said...

Eeya this fine boy

Unknown said...

Eyah i feel touched, is well little one, de Lord is ur strength.

Unknown said...

Is well little one, de Lord is ur strength.

Anonymous said...

Nawaaa oooo!!! It is well with u

DADDYSWIFE said...

Eyah.dts amazin tnk u Jesus
#nothankyoui'llratherbeselfmade

Unknown said...

"He woke up smiling," Awwww!! He's so cute!!...#IT IS WELL!

Unknown said...

Eya...such an adorable agile young man

seyi crown said...

Wow

amandaibeabuchi said...

awwwwwwwh! cute boy. your body will not reject your hands in Jesus name. Amen.

amakandidi said...

wow i thank God for your life boy

Unknown said...

Cute boy thank God for his life!!!

Unknown said...

Good for him
Happy for him

Unknown said...

Waoooo may God see him through.loosing a hand at this age is like loosing a child at tender age.












#sad indeed#

Unknown said...

Waoooo may God see him through.loosing a hand's at this age is like loosing a child at tender age.












#sad indeed#

Unknown said...

It's at moments like this that it really does feel good to be a doctor

Anonymous said...

God be with you my boy! You are blessed.

ADAMS eMMANUEL said...

Oh how I love to see people smile ...awww so lovely ...very lovely...so sweet I mean like seriously he is not handicap aqain ...qood lor u know what I have been askin of u plss put a smile on mi face

***Adams***
Linda`s cuttie

marvelous said...

Happy boy...gudnews

Unknown said...

So touching

Amaka.u.l said...

Chai,happy fr hm.

Jules said...

Awww...such a cutie

yawanow said...

Thank God for him.

Unknown said...

Awwwww, congrats to him. Linda take note!

Unknown said...

Jah bless him

Unknown said...

Hmmmm

Unknown said...

a.k.a EDWIN CHINEDU AZUBUKO said..
.
Nna this people are just bad i swear....
.
.
***CURRENTLY IN JUPITER***

AC£S said...

So happy for him...cute boy

ujunwa said...

Am so happy for him

Unknown said...

eh yah

Unknown said...

this is an awesome news.. i'm thrilled. i can't stop shading tears of joy for this little man.

Unknown said...

Choi! America is way far from us.....jesu!!! See as dem tak chage the guy hand like say na phone casen

JOYCHY said...

Awwwwwwwwwwww.........I don't even know wat to type!! Goose pimples! God keep u child & heal completely!! Wish I could give a tight hug!! #HappyKid!!!!!

Mihearty said...

Very handsome boy

TAMARA SPLASH said...

God bless u boy

Anonymous said...

These are the kind of projects all these doctors & surgeons should be using their talents & skills for, not them Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner kind of 'science projects'.

Anonymous said...

These are the kind of projects all these doctors & surgeons should be using their talents & skills for, not them Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner kind of 'science projects'.

Oby said...

Lucky boy. Thank God for the knowledge given to the medical personnel. Thank God for everything.

amaka said...

Sweet little handsome graceful lovely smart miracle child... Keep smiling baby.. Cos ur father in heavenz got ur back.. I love u lil boy.. God bless you 😚

ary said...

Wow that is amazing!!! Didn't know they could do that!

Unknown said...

Lucky babe

Anonymous said...

Oh gosh such a cute ke? Dis boy u need a proper education

poshbarbie said...

Turned out well. Thank God



LIB addict

Unknown said...

And he is so cute

Lewis said...

Awwwww so apy 4 him

Rhoda said...

Omg! I love his smiles... Cutie lil man! Thank God for his life, I see him going places. God bless the doctors and Remain Blessed dear lil cutie man.

Rhoda said...

Omg! I love his smiles... Cutie lil man! Thank God for his life, I see him going places. God bless the doctors and Remain Blessed dear lil cutie man.

Unknown said...

This kind of surgery can only be successful in western world. Its a bravo in technology

cemalez said...

Sad to see the young cutie in pain but thank God he's regaining strength

Black Belle said...

Woooow! Science!

IB O said...

Pattie God has done it for little Zion. i could still remember those days before the illness when little Zion will come to the bank (BOA) owings mills running around the bank. thank God for his mercies over him.

IB OSOH

IB O said...

Pattie thank God for Zion. he has done it finally. I could remember those days before the illness when Zion will come to the bank (BOA) running around the whole bank. I thank God for his life.

IB OSOH

lovely heart said...

Wow. Science.

Unknown said...

but pls educate me, which kind of infectious infection can cut someone's 2 hand? pls i need to be educated on this.

MY TURN said...

CUTE BOY MAY HE LIVE LONG AND HEALTHY

Unknown said...

So happy dat d tin ended successfully

collins said...

Lmao

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