KOR
▲ Rescue site in Venezuela
"Will my arm grow back?"
This is what 7-year-old Lia Leon asked medical staff after waking up from surgery.
The child was trapped under the rubble of her home, which collapsed due to the series of earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24.
She lost her mother and younger sister in the disaster, with only her father surviving.
It took 12 hours for Leon to be rescued.
During that time, her arm was crushed under the debris, cutting off blood circulation and causing the tissue to necrose.
Even after three surgeries, the dead tissue could not be saved.
Ultimately, the medical team had to perform an amputation on her right arm.
The story of 7-year-old Yuli is equally heartbreaking.
She lost both her parents and all three of her siblings in the earthquake.
She also suffered severe physical injuries.
Because her leg was pinned under building debris for a long time, some tissue necrosed, and she eventually had to have one leg amputated.
According to Perez Carreno Hospital, which operates the largest trauma center in Venezuela, 100 children aged 8 to 15 were admitted with severe injuries in the days following the earthquake.
Among them, 40 percent of the patients have been placed in a situation where they must undergo amputations of their limbs.
The hospital also reported that many children arrived with such severe wounds—caused by infections from being trapped for extended periods—that they required multiple surgeries.
Not everyone rescued from the rubble suffered such severe injuries.
However, when a body is compressed under collapsed structures for several hours, it sustains severe internal damage that makes amputation inevitable to save the person's life.
This is mainly due to crush syndrome.
When limbs are compressed by the weight of debris, the supply of blood and oxygen to the muscles is cut off, causing tissue to die. At this point, toxic substances released from muscle cells enter the bloodstream, having a fatal effect on the entire body.
Medical specialists warn that children are particularly vulnerable to crush injuries and multiple fractures, and often require early dialysis.
The recovery process is also arduous.
Beyond training to use prosthetic limbs, they must manage the sense of loss following amputation and overcome phantom limb pain, where they feel pain in the amputated area.
Experts advise that emotional support is essential, such as providing a safe space for children to express their fears and connecting them with amputees who have successfully completed rehabilitation.
Gabriel Cardier, a Venezuelan amputee athlete who is working with the emergency response team for this earthquake, said on social media, "As an amputee, I know that losing a limb is just the beginning of a long process." He added, "Access to prosthetics, treatment, and emotional support can make a big difference."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
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