Never Give Up!

In August 2016, nine-year-old Zion Harvey got to experience what most kids can only dream about: he threw out the first pitch at a Baltimore Orioles game against the Texas Rangers. Zion is no ordinary kid, and simply throwing a ball for him was no ordinary feat. A year ago, in July 2015, at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Zion became the first child ever to undergo a double hand transplant.

Zion has endured more than most adults. When he was just two years old, he lost both his hands and his legs below the knees to a life-threatening infection. The infection also damaged his kidneys, and he received a healthy kidney donated by his mother. They've been through it all together. ‘Without my mum, I would not be here right now. It's been me and my mum forever,’ said Zion.

Ironically, this kidney transplant at age four and the immune-suppressing drugs that he had been taking made him an ideal candidate at age eight to be the first kid in the world to get new hands. The drugs gave him a better chance of not rejecting transplanted hands.

Zion underwent a pioneering surgery that lasted nearly 11 hours. It was successful, but recovery from double hand transplant would be a lot to cope with for anyone, let alone for a boy his age. Numerous challenges lay ahead for Zion. He had a few scary setbacks when it looked as if his body was rejecting the new appendages. Rehab was long and his brain had to relearn how to use his new hands. However, Zion is not one to give up. Within a few weeks of surgery, he was playing with his favourite action figures and even baking cookies with a whisk. He tells what life is like for him:

‘I'm very excited because now I can do more than I imagined, like throwing a football, playing baseball or, I don't know, doing a handstand. So, when I got my hands, it's like here's the piece of my life that was missing. Now it's here. Now my life is complete. I just want to say this: “Never give up on your dreams. It will come true!”’

Harvey's story is truly an inspiring one, says Dr Scott Levin, who led the boy's transplant operation. ‘I've never seen Zion cry,’ he said, ‘I've never seen him not want to do his therapy. He's just a remarkable human being, let alone a human being. He has such courage and determination and gives us all inspiration.’ Levin is right. The boy has had an incredible journey and has become an inspiration to us all.