Journeys of Strength: Stories of hope and recovery from across Syria

In Hasakeh, we met Joumaa, a 37-year-old father who lost both of his legs in an airstrike eight years ago. Once a barber in Aleppo, he carried the weight of losing not only his limbs but also the profession that had anchored his identity.

Life in the camp was already difficult. Without mobility, it became nearly impossible.

When the physical rehabilitation team at the SARC–ICRC Al-Hol Hospital first took his measurements for new prosthetic legs, Joumaa was hesitant. Earlier experiences with prosthetics had been disappointing. “I used to think prosthetics were only a tool to get from one place to another,” he recalled.

But the moment he stood on his new pair of prosthetic legs, hope found its way back.

This time, he no longer needed two crutches, only one. Soon, he began imagining a future with none at all. “Now I’m thinking about walking without a crutch,” he said, smiling.

The transformation was not just physical. “My mindset is changing,” he told us. “Before, I worried about every move. Now, I can think about working again. If you check on me next week, you might find me opening my own barbershop!”

Today, he walks, steadily, proudly, and with a new sense of purpose.

In Aleppo, 13-year-old Sondus is showing that courage has no age.

Living with a mobility disability and brittle bone condition, she grew up learning how to navigate the world carefully. But what her condition never dimmed was her spirit. Her smile rarely leaves her face.

When she received a wheelchair tailored to her needs at the ICRC Physical Rehabilitation Centre, everything changed. She now goes to school each morning on her own and helps her family at home. Her wheelchair became her doorway to independence.

“It’s like my legs,” she said. “It helps me go out and do everything. I can even help my mom because I move it with my hands.”

To other children facing similar challenges, she sends a message full of wisdom well beyond her years:

“Don’t hide from people. Don’t be ashamed. God created us this way, and we should be grateful. Stay strong, go to school, play with your friends, and never be embarrassed.”

Sundus reminds us that strength often grows from a challenge, and that hope can begin on wheels.

In 2013, Ousama Baradei, then a young carpenter in Aleppo, was shot. The injury caused severe complications, including the loss of his right kidney and, several years later, the amputation of his left leg.

His life changed instantly. He could no longer continue his craft, and the world he knew came to a sudden stop.

In 2017, he was referred to the ICRC Physical Rehabilitation Centre. Walking again felt like a distant dream, but with a prosthetic limb and steady rehabilitation, he took his first steps back into life.

In 2018, Ousama joined the ICRC as a prosthetics technician assistant. What he once did with wood, he now does for people, shaping comfort, mobility, and renewed dignity.

“The best moment,” he says, “is when a patient walks again and says ‘thank you.’ Their prayers mean everything.”

Married now and a father to a daughter he adores, Ousama found clarity in one encounter that shaped him forever when he met a patient who had lost both upper and lower limbs yet continued to push forward.

“That day, I stopped seeing disability as an end. It became a beginning.”

Today, he encourages others to join humanitarian work: “It helps heal others, and it heals us too.”

In Qamishli, Khaled, 35, lost his leg in a traffic accident years ago. Recently, he received a prosthetic limb from the ICRC Physical Rehabilitation Programme at Qamishli National Hospital.

Regaining mobility brought back his confidence. Today, he rides his motorcycle with ease, walks steadily, and handles daily tasks without difficulty.

People are often surprised to learn he has a prosthetic limb at all, something that fills him with quiet pride.

Photographed from angles that respect his wish not to show his face, Khaled’s story reflects the everyday triumphs that often go unseen.

While their stories differ, Joumaa, Sondos, Osama, and Khaled are united by a common thread:

the determination to rise again, rebuild, and reclaim their independence.

Through physical rehabilitation, emotional support, and the commitment of dedicated teams, each person has taken steps, sometimes on prosthetics, sometimes on wheels, toward a life filled with purpose and possibility.

Their journeys remind us that recovery is not defined by what was lost, but by the strength discovered along the way.