Little Ali to get new arms

An Iraqi boy who lost both arms in the Gulf War is having his first appointment at the hospital rehabilitation centre where he is expected to be fitted with state-of-the-art prosthetic arms costing around £20,000.

Ali Abbas, 13, earned the sympathy of millions around the world after being injured in an American bombing raid early in the war, which also killed both his parents.

Ali and Ahmed Mohammed Hamza, 14, who lost his left leg below the knee and his right hand in a US bombardment, are attending their first appointments at the rehabilitation centre at Queen Mary's Hospital in Roehampton, south London.

They are being seen and assessed by Dr Sellaiah Sooriakumaran and his team of therapists and prosthetists.

One of the specialists set to treat Ali, who became a symbol of the suffering of ordinary Iraqis, has said he should be able to lead a virtually normal life with artificial limbs.

Robin Cooper, a clinical specialist in prosthetics at the hospital, said there was little limit to what Ali could achieve with his new arms.

He said last week: "It very much depends on him. We can give him the tools, but the real work comes from him.

"We would expect him to be able to accomplish the tasks he is determined to do. We have had people who have had the same level of loss as him who fly light aircraft or drive cars."

Staff at Roehampton will keep in touch with his doctors in Iraq for his ongoing care, he said.

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