Syrian girl walks to school again with prosthetic leg
Seyma Elcellud poses in school after having a prosthetic leg operation in Turkey, March 9, 2021. (AA Photo)


A 12-year-old Syrian girl, who lost her leg during the Syrian civil war and fled to Turkey, was able to walk again after she got a prosthetic leg with the support of philanthropists.

Seyma Elcellud was critically injured by shrapnel from a bombing on their house in Syria's Deir al-Zor city seven years ago. Her left leg was amputated below the knee.

The attack left eight of her relatives dead, including her mother and siblings.

She sought refuge in Turkey along with her father, Abdusellam Elcellud.

Her condition received attention on social media, and a charity, Alliance of International Doctors (AID), came to the fore to help her.

After receiving a prosthetic leg, she enrolled in a temporary education center in the southeastern province of Siirt on Sept. 14.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), she said her dream of walking to school had finally come true.

"I was having trouble going to school. I couldn't even climb the stairs without someone's help. Thanks to the philanthropists, I got a prosthesis. I meet my needs without anyone's help. I can go to school and walk around in the garden with my friends," she added.

Thousands of Syrians, including children, got prosthetics in different centers in Turkey after losing their limbs in the Syrian civil war.

Since 2011 when the conflict in Syria triggered the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II, Turkey has received a constant flow of displaced Syrians fleeing the conflict, and their numbers have expanded from mere thousands to millions.