Back in the swing
Joy of boy who had Docs report ups and double hand transplant downs of his progress
AFTER losing his hands and feet at the age of two, Zion Harvey dreamt of being able to grip a baseball bat again – and now he can.
He was the first child to undergo a double hand transplant.
Eighteen months after the surgery, 10-year-old Zion is now able to write, feed and dress himself.
And he can throw and whack a baseball just as he had hoped.
Medics have revealed the ups and downs Zion has faced since the op – including treatment to combat his body frequently rejecting the hands.
Dr Sandra Amaral said: “Eighteen months after the surgery, Zion is more independent and able to complete day-to-day activities.
“He continues to improve as he undergoes daily therapy to increase his hand function, and psychosocial support to help deal with the ongoing demands of his surgery.”
The study by medics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where Zion had the 10-hour op, was published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health journal.
The boy, from Baltimore, lost his hands and feet to life-threatening sepsis that also led to a kidney transplant. The organ was donated by his mum Pattie Ray.
Because he was taking drugs to stop his body rejecting the kidney, doctors said he was a perfect candidate for another type of transplant.
He had the pioneering surgery – using hands from a dead patient – in 2015 when he was eight.
Within days, he was able to move his fingers. Regrowth of the nerves meant he could move the transplanted hand muscles and sense touch within six months.
Zion, who gets about on prosthetic legs, said last year: “When I got my hands, it’s like, here’s the piece of my life that was missing. Now my life is complete.”