NEWS

THE STORY OF MOHSIN

Mohsin was abandoned in 1998 at Dar-ul-Sukun, a home in Karachi for mentally and physically handicapped children.  He was unable to walk and close to death from malnutrition.

A spell in hospital restored the real Mohsin, a perfectly normal little boy with legs and feet which didn’t work but a wicked twinkle in his eyes.

Family, friends and 3M work colleagues rallied around to fund surgery to help Mohsin walk.  In 2000 Dr Mohammed Umer carried out operations at the Aga Khan Hospital to correct congenital dislocation of the hips and club feet.

Mohsin could walk!

Now Mohsin needed a new home, one where he could live a normal life and achieve his potential.  In 2003 the Karachi SOS Children’s Village, home to 160 orphans or abandoned children, took him in.  Mohsin now has a Mama and foster brothers and sisters.

He goes to the SOS school and is amongst the top in his class.

Mohsin, at 8 years of age, could walk but was lame and beginning to stoop more and more. Dr Ajit Kumer Sarker, an orthopaedic surgeon and a Darlington Rotarian, asked to see recent x-rays and diagnosed a serious problem with Mohsin’s spine. Dr Riaz, the Head of Orthopaedics at the Aga Khan, confirmed that Mohsin had kyphoscoliosis which is causing his spine to twist and curve. Mohsin needed surgery but it could not be done in Pakistan as the facilities were not available for delicate paediatric spinal surgery.

Mohsin was referred to Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children. Mr Noordeen confirmed that Mohsin needed urgent surgery to correct any deformity as much as possible but, more importantly, an urgent anterior/posterior fusion of the lumbar spine. If left untreated the deformity would progress and cause a lower limb paraplegia.