From Heart to Heart | Kinan's Journey to Independence
Kinan’s family first noticed delays in his movement when he was around one year old. At first, they thought it might be due to the challenging conditions of living in Gaza, where the stress of the ongoing conflict can deeply affect children. However, they soon decided to seek medical support and found that Kinan needed ongoing pysiotherapy to help him develop his gross motor skills.
Initially, Kinan was quite stubborn and resistant to his sessions, often showing frustration and refusing to participate. However, our team worked patiently with him, while also providing his parents with guidance on how to help him at home. His parents received a home therapy plan, along with training on how to continue his exercises and support his development outside of the sessions.
Progress and Transformation
As Kinan adjusted to therapy, he began to make progress. He gradually achieved milestones in his ability to move, and eventually, he took his first independent steps, a moment that brought joy and hope to his entire family. Since then, Kinan has shown noticeable changes,he has become less stubborn and more social, eager to interact and play with other children. His confidence has helped him build stronger emotional and social skills, and he’s now more willing to participate in group activities.
Ongoing Challenges and Support
While Kinan is now able to walk and even climb stairs, he and his family still face challenges. Limited resources, such as access to proper nutrition and basic supplies like diapers, make daily life harder. Despite these difficulties, Kinan’s family feels grateful for the support they receive through the Jerusalem Princess Basma Centre’s “From Heart to Heart” initiative.
It is worth noting that the services received by Kenan and other children come as part of the Jerusalem Princess Basma Centres’ "Heart to Heart" initiative. Since we launched our new rehabilitation unit at Al Ahli Hospital and began offering therapeutic services there in 2023. So far, we could reach 510 children with disabilities, and provided 2840 therapy sessions for them.
