Teenager gets to grips with new arm

Vasily Paliy uses his new arm in the kitchen

A teenage boy from Moldova who lost both his arms in an accident has had a new artificial limb fitted after being brought to Britain by a Devon charity.

Vasily Paliy, 13, travelled from the former Soviet Republic for the treatment which experts believe should offer him the chance of a normal life.

After having the new limb fitted by doctors and surgeons in London, he has returned to Devon to convalesce.

He lost both his lower arms when he was electrocuted at his home village.

I can do anything I want.... I can even pinch my mother

Vasily Paliy

Experts say the new arm has increased his independence and he is due to have a second one fitted in the spring.

Vasily was brought to Devon two months ago by the charity Christian Response.

Facing a life of poverty, after the accident, he had become suicidal.

But doctors in London have been working for nothing to make Vasily new arms.

Rehabilitation consultant Dr Selliah Sooriakumaran said: "He's obviously lost a lot in terms of his independence.

Good chance

"But I think that if we can enable him to use a pair of functional hands, then hopefully we should be able to increase this."

Through an interpreter, Vasily said: "I can write, I can eat, I can do anything I want.

"I can shake hands to say 'how do you do', and I can even pinch my mother."

It will take some time for him to adapt, but experts say he stands a good chance, partly due to his youth.

Full advantage

Senior occupational therapist Fiona Carnegie said: "That makes a lot of difference because new things are not difficult to take on board.

"The other fact is that the other remaining joints are more supple.

"If he needs to have greater shoulder movement, then he's still got that and we can take full advantage of that."

'Absolutely brilliant'

For the charity which brought Vasily to Britain, this is just the start of a long process to help support him back in Moldova.

Hugh Scudder of Christian Response said: "It's been far better than I ever imagined.

"He's been dressing himself, feeding himself, using a pencil, he's doing homework and drawing lovely pictures. It's absolutely brilliant."

Vasily returns to Moldova next week to start a new life in his own country.