Zion Harvey, 8, lost his arms and legs to a life-threatening infection when he was just 2. He later needed a kidney transplant and was put on immunosuppressant drugs for the rest of his life. But this tragic medical history made Zion the ideal candidate to be the first kid in the world to get new hands.
"The challenges facing Zion are new, but his determination should overcome them. He's already done so many amazing things," Zion's mom Pattie Ray said in a statement.
Zion "sailed through the procedure and has done remarkably well with postoperative therapy", transplant team lead surgeon Dr. Scott Levin said.
Zion underwent the 11-hour hand transplant in early July and has since been enduring physical and occupational therapy several times a day. "He's just a remarkable lad. Today he was playing with his action figures and baking cookies with a whisk, doing all sorts of things with his hands we never dreamed he would be able to do within a few weeks of surgery," Levin told NBC News.
"TODAY HE WAS PLAYING WITH HIS ACTION FIGURES AND BAKING COOKIES WITH A WHISK."
The transplant team has already screened another pediatric candidate for bilateral hand transplant surgery. Since the announcement of Zion's procedure, Levin said the hospital has received close to 200 inquiries from around the world of children with various extremity problems. Not all will be candidates for surgery but the success of Zion's procedure has paved the way.
For more read at it:http://www.nbcnews.com/health/kids-health/boy-leaves-hospital-new-hands-n416516