Empowering 80 people with disabilities in Iraq

In February 2022, Operation Mercy Iraq coordinated with two other Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) to help with surgeries for 25 people with an orthopedic disability. These patients came from nine camps in two different cities in the region and are refugees or internally displaced peeople (IDP). The surgical team that came from the US and Singapore stayed for three weeks seeing patients eligible for an operation and then performing the surgeries.

Operation Mercy helped while the patients were in recovering in the hospital and then did all the follow-up for them after they were discharged to their homes in the camps. Operation Mercy staff visited them in their homes each week and did physical therapy exercises with them in order to continue to keep their limbs and core muscles strong so that when casts are removed, they would be able to rehabilitate easier. We encouraged family to help with the exercises and it was evident how supportive the families were in this healing process. As seen in this picture, the clients showed such determination and tenacity as they navigated needing to use walkers and wheelchairs in tents.

The surgeries ranged from treating a little girl with hip dislocation so that she can walk with no pain and will not need a total hip replacement in twenty years, to men in their 40's with severe club feet who have had to deal with the stigma of a deformity their whole lives. Even before casts were removed last week, the men were talking about being able to get married now because of improvement in both mobility and appearance in their legs. Each was dreaming about what the weddings would be like! These surgeries are truly life-changing!

Operation Mercy will continue to follow up with these surgical patients with physical therapy exercises so that they an walk and run in these next few weeks and months! We also continue to provide home physical therapy for 70+ other refugees and IDPs in nine camps on a weekly basis.