Three-year-old Fezan Hussain is part way through pioneering treatment to give him a new hand after he was born with no fingers. The miraculous treatment, not available in this country, will cost £60,000 at an American hospital. Kate Wadsworth spoke to the family about the progress so far.

Fezan Hussain was barely 18 months old yet the frustration of trying to use a hand without fingers was already beginning to show.

The Bradford toddler, who was born with an incomplete right hand, would often get upset as he began to realise that he couldn't pick things up like his older brother, Ahsan.

The sight of their son struggling to come to terms with his disability was heartbreaking for his devoted parents Zahoor and Salma.

Fezan, now three, suffers from a rare disorder known as Polands Syndrome, which prevents the development of certain limbs.

His parents had been told by doctors that nothing could be done for Fezan, but they never gave up hope.

By chance, one evening, mum Salma watched a television programme which followed the progress of Doncaster youngster Megan Hunter, who was born with a similar disorder to Fezan.

Salma watched entranced as the girl underwent pioneering treatment in America to reconstruct her hand by making new fingers.

Following the programme, the family turned detective and tracked down the doctor who had performed miracles in the US.

They sent x-rays and details of Fezan's case and were soon told that similar re-constructive surgery would be possible using bones from other parts of his young body.

The news was a dream come true for the Hussain family, of Hopbine Avenue, West Bowling, but there was one big snag. The family was warned the hi-tech treatment, given in six stages, would cost up to £60,000 - a colossal amount by anyone's standards.

But the family was determined that money was not going to stand in their way, and so a mammoth fundraising campaign for Fezan's treatment was launched immediately.

Proud dad Zahoor said the family faced a race against time as they sought to raise enough cash - nearly £9,000 - to begin the first stage of treatment.

Fezan was already aged two when he travelled to the States to begin the treatment, which really should have started when he was 18 months old to coincide with the natural development of his bones. "It was heartbreaking watching Fezan struggle to cope because he is naturally right-handed," said Zahoor, who has been given special leave from his job at Drummond's weavers in Bradford to accompany his son on the trips to America.

"We could see it was difficult for him. He would often try to copy his brother, but because of his hand he couldn't.

"When we heard about the treatment we knew we had to give it a try. We were delighted that something could be done for Fezan, but also deeply worried about how we were going to pay for the treatment. It was such a lot of money."

Money worries aside, the Hussains knew they wanted to do the best for their son. "We wanted Fezan to lead a normal life and not have to depend on other people to do things for him," added Zahoor.

The Hussains' appeal for help to fund the treatment was a huge success. They were soon overwhelmed with support from family and friends, touched by the toddler's plight.

Zahoor said: "The support we received from family and friends was amazing, and within four months we had raised enough for our son's first operation. I could not thank people enough. They knew we needed the money urgently and they helped as much as they could."

The family flew out to see the specialist last July to start Fezan's first stage of treatment. The first procedure involved taking three bone grafts from the youngster's left toes and inserting them into his hands, which will eventually form a knuckle.

Fezan has just returned from his second stage of treatment and he will have to return to the States in a few weeks' time for a further consultation.

The latest stage in the programme has involved inserting wires through the grafted bones connected to a metal device which stretches the bones. The clamps on the device have to be turned five times a day, but thankfully the procedure is painless. The family have been shown how to measure the length of bone every day to evaluate progress.

"The device on his hand is quite heavy, but he has coped really well with it," added Zahoor.

"We had to stay eight weeks in America, close to the hospital, so doctors could monitor his progress. We should have stayed longer but we couldn't afford it so we will go back in two months for more treatment.

The family will return to America in two months for the next stage in Fezan's treatment, which will involve taking around ten inches of the fibula bone from his left leg to construct fingers. The fibula will grow back within 18 months.

"We have seen other children from all over the world who are at a later stage of treatment that Fezan. The results are amazing, the children have a properly constructed hand which they can use without any problem," said Zahoor.

"It's wonderful for Fezan to see the result of the treatment in other children. He knows his hand will one day look like theirs."

Fezan has four more stages in treatment to go, at an estimated cost of £40,000, but it's hoped that he will have a full hand by the time he starts school.

Zahoor said: "We have had great support up until now and we hope it will continue. We worry that we will not have enough money to finish the job. It would be nice to have the peace of mind to know that the money was there - but we are determined to see it through.

"The next stage in his treatment will be next year so hopefully we will have enough time to raise the money.

"If it's your own flesh and blood you will do anything to help them," added Zahoor.

Fezan's condition

Polands Syndrome affects around one in 50,000 children across the world.

Named after a doctor who discovered the condition in the 1840s, it is associated with hand abnormalities on one side of the child's body.

The syndrome means the pectoralis major muscle, which is in the upper chest and runs into the armpit, is missing.

A spokesman for St James's Hospital, Leeds, said: "It usually affects just one side of the body and prevents the full development of the hand. The condition is not usually hereditary."

A bank account has been set up at the Yorkshire Bank under the name 'Trustees for Fezan Hussain Appeal', with the account number 63688131. The sort code is 05-03-38. If you require further information or want to offer your help, please contact Mr Hussain on (01274) 787635 or (0958) 682232.

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