Zion Harvey is having some trouble with his hands. Grasping things is difficult, moving his fingers independently is a challenge.
But none of that matters to him. Every little movement is a blessing, because just one month ago, Zion didn’t have hands at all.
This angelic 8-year-old has been a quadruple amputee for most of his life. He lost both hands and both feet to a septic infection as a baby, and has spent his whole childhood learning how to function without appendages most people take for granted.
Now, thanks to the pediatric surgeons at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Zion is the first child ever to receive a double hand transplant. His mom, Pattie Ray is thrilled for the opportunity for her son, saying, “When I first saw the hands, I got teary-eyed.”
She initially took him to a neighboring hospital looking for more comfortable prosthetics, but doctors quickly realized that Zion was a good candidate for surgery. They quickly set about looking for a donor.
Like this girl who received a new pair of lungs, they had to wait for suitable match to become available, but a pair of donor hands finally became available. Earlier this month, a team of 40 medical professionals attached the new hands over the course of a ten-hour surgery.
Now, Zion is in physical therapy 3–5 times a day, and is progressing quickly. But his biggest dream? To throw a football. His medical team say that, once he’s done with rehab, he’ll be throwing spirals just like his idol, quarterback Joe Flacco.
Please SHARE if you’re amazed by this bright and bubbly boy and his wonderful doctors!
