Eight-year-old Sidra Al Bordeeni was very happy when she got a new artificial arm (prosthetic arm). She came back from the clinic and rode a bicycle in the refugee camp in Jordan, where she now lives. It was the first time she had ridden a bike since a missile hit Gaza a year ago and took her arm.
Sidra was hurt when she and her family were staying at Nuseirat School in Gaza. Many schools had become shelters because of Israeli attacks. Her mother, Sabreen Al Bordeeni, said Gaza’s hospitals were not working properly, and the family couldn’t leave to get better treatment. So, doctors couldn’t save her hand.
“She is playing again, and all her friends are amazed by her new arm,” said her mother. “I thank God. I’m so happy to see her smiling.”
The artificial arm was made more than 4,000 kilometers away in Karachi, Pakistan, by a company called Bioniks. This company uses a phone app to take photos from different angles and then creates a 3D model to build custom arms.
Girl Gets New Arm and Rides a Bike Again After Gaza Attack
Anas Niaz, the company’s CEO, said Bioniks has made over 1,000 custom arms in Pakistan since 2021. Most were paid for through patient fees, company support, and donations. But Sidra is the first war victim they helped from outside Pakistan.
Another girl, three-year-old Habebat Allah, who lost both arms and a leg in Gaza, also got help from Bioniks. The girls had online meetings and virtual fittings. Later, Anas Niaz flew from Karachi to Amman, Jordan, to meet them and deliver the arms.
Sidra’s arm was paid for by Mafaz Clinic in Jordan. Habebat’s prosthetics were paid for by donations from people in Pakistan. Mafaz Clinic chose Bioniks because their arms are low-cost and can be fitted remotely.
Each arm costs about $2,500, much cheaper than ones made in the U.S., which cost between $10,000 and $20,000.
Though Bioniks’ arms are not as advanced as American ones, they work well for kids and are easier to get than arms made in places like Turkey or South Korea.
Niaz said they also want to help people in other war zones like Ukraine and hope to become a global company.
He explained that children need new limbs every 12–18 months as they grow, but future replacements will cost less because only a few parts need to be changed.
Bioniks sometimes adds fun designs like Iron Man or Elsa from Frozen to help children feel better about wearing them.
‘I Can Finally Hug My Father’
The U.N. says about 4,500 people in Gaza have lost limbs since the war began, including many children. Before the war, there were already 2,000 amputees. This is one of the highest numbers of child amputees in the world.
Since October 2023, over 7,000 children have been injured, and more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed, one-third of them children.
Hospitals in Gaza are barely working because Israel has blocked borders and cut off medical supplies. So, many injured people cannot get the help they need.
Asadullah Khan, a clinic manager in the UK, said remote treatment is very important in war zones. It allows doctors to help patients without them needing to travel or go to special hospitals.
Bioniks wants to offer this kind of care on a larger scale, but they need more money and partners to do so.
Sidra is still getting used to her new arm. She even added a small bracelet to it. For a long time, she couldn’t make a heart shape with both hands, but now she can. She sent a photo of the heart shape to her father, who is still stuck in Gaza.
“What I want most,” Sidra said, “is to use both my arms to hug my father when I finally see him.”
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