Support for Hasiba, who was injured by burns in Afghanistan

Hasiba was nine years old when her life changed forever. In 2012, the Taliban set fire to her parents' apartment, and within minutes the entire house was ablaze. Hasiba and her family managed to escape, but the little girl suffered severe burns to her feet and hands. The wounds were treated in a clinic, but her tendons and ligaments remained impaired. The girl could no longer grip properly and could barely move her toes. The burned skin healed poorly: even a normal handshake caused her severe pain, and in winter the skin on her feet repeatedly burst. The injuries also took a heavy toll on the girl psychologically: because her feet were severely deformed – some of her toes were pointing upwards at a 90-degree angle due to dysfunctional tendons and ligaments – she was bullied by other children.

After three years of tireless efforts, a commendably dedicated Munich family managed to secure Hasiba a visa for treatment in Germany. She was able to leave Kabul in August 2021 on one of the last civilian flights before the Taliban took over. Immediately after her arrival, she underwent her first surgery at St. Josef Hospital in Regensburg (Prof. Lukas Prantl). Among other things, the four toes of her left foot were moved from a vertical position back to their original position using wires. Tendons were also lengthened and stretched, ligaments reconstructed, and burned areas of skin were replaced with fresh skin. Numerous other operations followed.

Hasiba needed medication, special shoes, physiotherapy, clothing, German lessons, etc.

The Florian Lex Foundation supported Hasiba’s stay and treatment in Germany.