For much of her childhood, Leen Mohammad has depended on a wheelchair and walker to move around.
Born in Amman with cerebral palsy, the Palestinian-Jordanian girl has spent her life with limited mobility, often watching from the sidelines as other children run, jump and play.
Now 12, Leen has travelled thousands of kilometres with her mother to Shriners Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where doctors carried out complex, six-hour surgery on her legs, offering her a new chance at mobility.
“When I start walking, I will feel so happy,” Leen told The National. “I want to play with my siblings. I want to run. I want to go shopping with my mother.”
Leen suffers from spastic quadriplegia, a severe form of cerebral palsy affecting all four limbs.
The family, originally from Jenin in the occupied West Bank, have travelled to the US for medical treatment three times. In 2016, when Leen was only four, she underwent surgery at Shriners Hospital in Minnesota to help her walk, with the procedure fully covered by the hospital due to the high cost of overseas care.
Four years later, in 2020, Leen and her mother travelled to St Louis Children’s Hospital in Missouri for a procedure known as selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR), a form of neurosurgery that helps reduce spasticity, a condition that causes muscle stiffness and tightness.
The treatment cost about $70,000, said Leen’s mother Sana’a Shllak. With no medical insurance, the family raised the funds through a GoFundMe campaign and by creating and selling handmade frames inscribed with the word "hope".
“What she has going on now is actually very common in kids with spastic quadriplegia,” explained Dr Terrence Ishmael, paediatric orthopaedic and spine surgeon at Shriners in Philadelphia, who in May carried out Leen’s third operation.
“When they have surgery at a really young age, often times the clinical scenario can change as they grow, because, you know, her body and her bones are growing really quickly, but often times, her muscles and her tendons don't quite grow at the same rate.
"Sometimes the bones are not aligned in the position that is the most efficient for her to walk, so it's actually very common for originally treated issues to recur again.”
Leen is approaching skeletal maturity, which means the likelihood of her needing more surgery is lower than it would have been at a younger age.
“The hope is that the results we get with this procedure, or this combination of procedures, will be durable and last her into adulthood,” the surgeon added.
The family expressed deep gratitude to the hospital for covering the full cost of Leen’s medical treatment. They also received crucial support from Heal Palestine, a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping Palestinian children rebuild their lives.
“Without Heal Palestine, the trip would not have been possible,” said Ms Shllak, who explained that the organisation funded their flights and accommodation in Philadelphia. Established on January 1 last year, Heal Palestine has been providing essential support to children affected by the Israel-Gaza war. Leen is the first Jordanian-Palestinian child the group has assisted.
From struggle to strength
“It is heartbreaking. I feel lost, sad, but I need to be strong for her. I always Google about her case to choose the best for her,” said Ms Shllak.
Leen was only nine months old when she fell into a six-day coma. It was then that doctors diagnosed her with cerebral palsy.
For the first four years of Leen’s life, Ms Shllak carried her everywhere, all while desperately searching the internet for treatment options. That’s how she discovered Shriners Children’s Hospital.
“The US offers more advanced treatment and equipment compared to Jordan and the doctors are experts. So I chose the US to treat my daughter," she said.
Leen currently has casts on both legs, which will be removed six weeks after surgery. She and her mother are staying with a host family in the US state of Delaware and plan to return to Jordan in August.
“Once the casts come off, she'll be placed in new braces for her feet, and we expect that she'll be able to take her first steps with a walker right after having the cast removed,” said Dr Ishmael.
Leen dreams of one day walking, and even running, without assistance. But given her condition, the doctor says it’s difficult to predict whether she will ever be able to move entirely on her own.
“The treatment is ultimately to make her walk more efficiently, but in terms of her becoming an independent walker of any meaningful distance, it's unlikely because of her underlying condition,” said Dr Ishmael.
He explained that Leen’s voluntary motor control is significantly limited, affecting her upper and lower limbs.
“There are kids who have less severe cerebral palsy, who do achieve meaningful, independent ambulation with minimal assistance. But it's not clear as to whether or not Leen is one of those, and it's hard to predict,” he added.
Despite the challenges, Leen’s family remains determined to give her a more independent future. For them, this journey is about more than mobility - it’s rooted in the belief that every child deserves the chance to thrive.
As for Leen, no dream feels out of reach. “When I grow up, I want to be a doctor so I can help kids like me,” she says with a smile.
Who is Allegra Stratton?
- Previously worked at The Guardian, BBC’s Newsnight programme and ITV News
- Took up a public relations role for Chancellor Rishi Sunak in April 2020
- In October 2020 she was hired to lead No 10’s planned daily televised press briefings
- The idea was later scrapped and she was appointed spokeswoman for Cop26
- Ms Stratton, 41, is married to James Forsyth, the political editor of The Spectator
- She has strong connections to the Conservative establishment
- Mr Sunak served as best man at her 2011 wedding to Mr Forsyth
liverpool youngsters
Ki-Jana Hoever
The only one of this squad to have scored for Liverpool, the versatile Dutchman impressed on his debut at Wolves in January. He can play right-back, centre-back or in midfield.
Herbie Kane
Not the most prominent H Kane in English football but a 21-year-old Bristolian who had a fine season on loan at Doncaster last year. He is an all-action midfielder.
Luis Longstaff
Signed from Newcastle but no relation to United’s brothers Sean and Matty, Luis is a winger. An England Under-16 international, he helped Liverpool win the FA Youth Cup last season.
Yasser Larouci
An 18-year-old Algerian-born winger who can also play as a left-back, Larouci did well on Liverpool’s pre-season tour until an awful tackle by a Sevilla player injured him.
Adam Lewis
Steven Gerrard is a fan of his fellow Scouser, who has been on Liverpool’s books since he was in the Under-6s, Lewis was a midfielder, but has been converted into a left-back.
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Results:
6.30pm: Handicap | US$135,000 (Dirt) | 1,400 metres
Winner: Rodaini, Connor Beasley (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap | $135,000 (Turf) | 1,200m
Winner: Ekhtiyaar, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson
7.40pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes | Group 3 | $200,000 (T) | 2,000m
Winner: Spotify, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
8.15pm: UAE Oakes | Group 3 | $250,000 (D) | 1,900m
Winner: Divine Image, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile | Group 2 | $250,000 (T) | 1,600m
Winner: Mythical Image, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.20pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
Winner: Major Partnership, Kevin Stott, Saeed bin Suroor
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
U19 World Cup in South Africa
Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka
Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies
Group C: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe
Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, UAE
UAE fixtures
Saturday, January 18, v Canada
Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan
Saturday, January 25, v South Africa
UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Vriitya Aravind, Deshan Chethyia, Mohammed Farazuddin, Jonathan Figy, Osama Hassan, Karthik Meiyappan, Rishabh Mukherjee, Ali Naseer, Wasi Shah, Alishan Sharafu, Sanchit Sharma, Kai Smith, Akasha Tahir, Ansh Tandon
23-man shortlist for next six Hall of Fame inductees
Tony Adams, David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Eric Cantona, Andrew Cole, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Les Ferdinand, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Matt Le Tissier, Michael Owen, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Nemanja Vidic, Patrick Viera, Ian Wright.
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Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (PA) Group 1 | US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) Listed | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) Conditions | $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m
8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,200m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
match info
Southampton 0
Arsenal 2 (Nketiah 20', Willock 87')
Red card: Jack Stephens (Southampton)
Man of the match: Rob Holding (Arsenal)
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Marital status: Single
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Key findings
- Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
- Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase.
- People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”.
- Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better.
- But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
SPECS
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
