"Will My Arm Grow Back?"… Children's Lives Shattered by Earthquake

"Will my arm grow back?"

Seven-year-old Lia Leon asked the medical staff this question after waking up from surgery.

The child was trapped under the rubble of her home, which collapsed due to a series of earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24.

She lost her mother and younger sister in the earthquake, and only her father survived.

It took 12 hours for Leon to be rescued.

During that time, her arm was crushed under the debris, and the lack of blood circulation caused 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.

Her own body was also severely injured.

Because her leg had been crushed under building debris for a long time, some tissue necrosed, and she eventually had to have one leg amputated. The Venezuelan local daily El Nacional reported on July 9 (local time) that children who survived the earthquake are struggling to recover while enduring the pain of amputation surgeries.

According to the Perez Carreño 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% of the patients were placed in situations where they had to undergo amputations of their arms or legs.

Furthermore, the hospital reported that many children arrived with such severe wounds that they required multiple surgeries due to infections caused by being trapped for long periods.

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 crushed by the weight of debris, the supply of blood and oxygen to the muscles is cut off, causing tissue to necrose. At this point, toxic substances released from muscle cells are discharged into the bloodstream, causing fatal effects on the entire body.

Specialists warn that children are much more vulnerable to crush injuries and multiple fractures, and in many cases, early dialysis is required.

The recovery process is also arduous.

Beyond training to use prosthetics, they must also manage the sense of loss following the 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 rehabilitated.

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," adding, "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.