- 7 minutes ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:16Hi, six years ago we brought you the remarkable story of Ghanim El Shnen. At the time he was
00:23testing the boundaries of bionic medicine after a catastrophic accident while simultaneously
00:30fighting to be reunited with his family who were on the other side of the world.
00:35That story prompted a massive outpouring of support for Ghanim and so we thought you
00:40might be interested to know how things worked out for him.
00:51My story and what happened to me I need at least a thousand books to fill out.
00:59I don't think anyone could get through what he's got through without some scars.
01:05He just kept getting hit down day after day after day for years.
01:12I'm okay I'm fine I'm still alive and I can prove myself that these things never change me or never
01:20make me weak. Yes I had a lot of challenges very difficult time but I never lose hope. I'm always
01:30believe in hope. In the end I got what I want. My dream become true.
01:49Ghanim, Shani, ready to go? Yeah I'm ready. Good. Ghanim's case is very unique in many aspects.
01:59Today is the 29th. It is a highly complex procedure. Okay. And extremely severe.
02:07So your name Ghanim Al-Shinan? Yeah. Correct. Your date of birth is 1st of July 1982. Yeah. 36 years
02:15old.
02:16Okay. Inshallah. This kind of surgery is not just intensive from the technical point of view.
02:23It requires significant commitment, significant positive attitude. I'll look after you. Take care.
02:30Yeah. Okay. It's a long surgery. It's a big surgery. But I'm very optimistic.
02:37Inshallah.
02:52Ghanim was a labourer working across various building sites across Sydney.
03:00so on November 6 2018 he was working on a low-rise apartment building and the job was
03:05almost done so he was working on the top floor the job changed my life this job sign it's very
03:15hard and even I can't watch the building I never be even in this area again the job he
03:24was supposed to be doing was placing steel reinforcement bars into the the wall cavity
03:28of this work site and I start to put the bus inside the wall that's all what I remember
03:39my understanding that Ganem was holding him a metal bar and somehow that metal bar have touched a life
03:51wire he's essentially had a huge electric shock and he's lucky to be alive there tends to be an
03:59entry point in an exit point for high voltage electricity so I think he's conducted through
04:05both hands through the left he's conducted across his chest he's conducted up his right arm it's blown
04:13out the back of his shoulder he was brought to our intensive care unit he was stable but he had
04:26a large amount of dead tissue on him and I didn't think his hands were viable I was crying that
04:36time
04:38had I talked to the doctor please do anything don't cut my arms it was really hard to tell him
04:47that he
04:48was going to lose both hands because that's a slow thing to process for people it's an intimate thing
04:54you can't feed yourself you can't wipe your own bottom you are reliant on other human beings then you
05:01you have to choice give up or be positive and looking forward yes I lost my arms but I'm still
05:16alive
05:24he had six operations here at Concord and he was here for three months
05:36welcome back oh good to see you good to see you one of the biggest jobs when you first got
05:44here
05:45was crowd control we had a sea of people outside ICU and then your clever day when you worked out
05:53that
05:53you could use your great toe to use a mouse on the floor I remember walking in that day and
05:58went yeah
05:59he's gonna be just fine I don't think Ghanim would be here if he didn't have a positive attitude
06:13Ghanim was from southern Iraq he had a wife and three young boys and he was working as a policeman
06:18it was in 2012 so there's no trust in that time part of Ghanim's role was to take notes and
06:27prepare
06:28reports as part of interrogations when a militia commander was captured and questioned Ghanim was
06:36asked to change the report I said to him I'm not gonna do this this is wrong and this is
06:42a mistake
06:44he say you will do it after Ghanim refused to change the report and the commander was sentenced he was
06:52threatened that there would be retribution for this a bomb was put into his car and if it wasn't for
07:01his
07:01son Ali Ghanim probably wouldn't be here today my son Ali called me he say dad you forget your phone
07:12when I
07:14back up to back up to back up my phone the car exploded I never forget that time my son
07:26saved me
07:32Ghanim knew pretty quickly that he had to get out of Iraq but he knew it was too dangerous to
07:38take his
07:39family with him so he resettled them in another area and he began his journey to Australia with
07:45the promise to his family that he would get them there as soon as he could it was very hard
07:50it's
07:53really hard when you they make this to leave your family without no choice
08:06Ghanim made his way to Indonesia where he got on a leaky fishing boat he arrived at Christmas Island
08:15September the 5th in 2012 only weeks before Ghanim's arrival the government changed its policies on
08:21refugees so Ghanim was sent to Nauru it was the mental health conditions that were what made Nauru so
08:32difficult you wake up morning you find someone hanging himself someone killing himself eventually
08:43the men were offered an opportunity to relocate to Australia as long as they sign a document that
08:48said they would restart their processing Ghanim unfortunately signed that document it's not a
08:57permanent protection visa it would mean that he could never bring his family here to be with him
09:04we don't have any choice we have to
09:14Ghanim was released into the community on a bridging visa I moved to Sydney in 2014 the group of Iraqi
09:22men
09:23with whom Ghanim was a part of they seemed to settle reasonably well and a lot of them found work
09:28as
09:28carpenters and in the kind of construction work and in trades it was very very nice life but only one
09:37thing it's make me keep thinking my family to be here Ghanim knew we had to get his family out
09:46of Iraq
09:46and he managed to get them to safety in Finland where they were welcomed as refugees that day it was
09:54really make me really happy and my family safe it was in early 2017 when Ghanim finally had his
10:07interview to see if he'd be accepted as a refugee and given a protection visa I got refused then we
10:14send the letter again and again I get refused after the appeal was refused his only avenue was the
10:22Federal Circuit Court my hearing with the Federal Court sit down for November 15 but then the accident
10:31doesn't have been 6 November and everything changed
10:38Munjit heard about Ghanim through the Iraqi community
10:45because they share a common heritage
10:48so this arm is functional as you can see you can move it okay
10:52Munjit took over Ghanim's care in January and he moved him to Macquarie Hospital
10:58as good good range which is good he then went through another round of surgery to prepare him
11:04for the osteointegration surgery osteointegration simply means joining or integrating with the bone
11:12so it's a connection of an implant with the living bone so this is the implant there are lots of
11:20things
11:20to learn we are putting metal into bone that crosses skin and sure there are cases where
11:28it can become complicated
11:30x-ray
11:31it's great to have new technology
11:34but it's got to be the patient that says this is worth it
11:38I might be able to refashion all of this scar
11:41Ghanim's is a highly complex procedure
11:44preserve your function
11:45because of the electric burn because of the nature it's bilateral because it's below the elbow
11:52are they sensitive
11:54do you have sensitive
11:56yeah
11:58okay
12:03Munjit was encouraging Ghanim to get his operations done as quickly as possible
12:10but there was no way that Ghanim was going to have any significant operations without having his family
12:17by his side
12:20to not see my family for seven years is very hard
12:24because the life without your family nothing
12:31he got some advice in terms of getting the family over here to australia
12:38it it was it was a battle
12:46i was really very close to lose my hope
12:53tell when my lawyer she's coming to my to the hospital
12:58and she said your family get approved for a visa to come into australia
13:10maybe i screaming to be like very excited
13:15i make all macquarie hospital wake up
13:20i was asked by Ghanim to take him to the airport to pick up the family
13:27when i'm arrive i try as much i can to control
13:32my breathing my heart my i can't
13:38and then suddenly we heard this little voice
13:41and it was ali his eldest son
13:45he say baba
13:49i go straight away to the end
13:53and i sit on the floor to hug him then my wife then the twins again
14:15that time i feel like just like my life real life just start now
14:23when i hugged my family it was like i have everything in the life i have everything
14:32i have everything in the life i have everything in the life
14:33the visitors visa only allowed the family to stay three months
14:43now my family next to me i will go
14:46with a smile and my eyes close
14:50to that my surgeon
14:54two teams work on each arm separately and it will take possibly 10 hours
15:00i need the platinum
15:02the left side involve insertion of high tensile strength titanium implants
15:08into the residual bone and connecting these implants into a robotic arm
15:15the way that that arm is made to work is that the electrodes and software in the arm can read
15:23tiny twitches in the muscles in the remaining arm to open and close the hand
15:33the right arm is a lot more complex
15:36so we had to go above the elbow
15:40we have to utilize muscles that normally not functioning to operate a finger and regroup them
15:47in order to operate the finger again
15:52so it's completely different procedure and maybe ten hundred times more complex
15:59it's the same philosophy he think about moving his thumb and the thumb will move
16:06everything went according to the plan went very well
16:13the way that after the operation he threw himself into these rehabilitation process
16:40So we had weights on his arms to build up the muscles in his biceps
16:44so he could eventually have the robotic arms attached to them.
16:50The family just be next to me, this is big care and support.
16:56And the good thing, Ali, my son, he know how he changed all the screws for my hand.
17:05And tell me for to do the loading.
17:10I started to play soccer with my kids and I was really enjoying it and I'm happy.
17:16Even I don't want to see anyone, just I want to stay like my kids.
17:21I can't stay disabled because I'm not disabled with my family, not.
17:26There is only one thing that's really hurting me.
17:30I wish my hand there is to hook them like a problem.
17:34But I believe that always what's happening there is reason behind.
17:39The reason is I lost my arms to see my family after seven years.
17:52So a lot of people started to hear about Garnham's story and Troy convinced Garnham to run in the city
17:57surf together with him.
17:58Three, two, one.
18:04I just thought he still has his legs and what can we do in terms of him making a bit
18:09of a statement.
18:10And he was just like, I'm there, I'm going to do it.
18:15Everyone, when they saw me, they were really happy and excited.
18:20You did so well, Garnham.
18:22Some people, they give me some support. Good on you, mate. Keep going.
18:31Well done, Garnham!
18:33You did so well.
18:35Yes. I'm going to keep continuing the work.
18:38The incredible thing about that day was at the end of it, Garnham had to say goodbye to his family.
18:48He said waking up the next morning was one of his most horrific moments that he can remember.
18:56Don't know how he did it.
18:57I mean, how do you go into a house that was full of laughter and children and noise to nothing?
19:06It was a very difficult time for him.
19:10He was not in a good spot after they left.
19:12It was quite noticeable.
19:23After weeks of pretty intense physio, Garnham was ready to try out the robotic arms.
19:30And I think there was a lot of excitement, but a lot of nerves around whether he would be able
19:35to use them, how they would function.
19:37Very good. Yeah.
19:39And we'll plug you in.
19:42I tell you the truth, the first time I was a little bit nervous.
19:46Up here on Garnham we have a custom-made cuff that houses eight pairs of electrodes that pick up the
19:53muscle movement that Garnham performs.
19:56The software allows us to assign those EMG patterns to certain movements on the wrist and on the hand.
20:02So if Garnham thinks about moving his arm down and activates the muscles in his arm, that used to do
20:11that when he still had a hand, we should see the hand moving down.
20:15Maybe you can do that, Garnham.
20:20Excellent.
20:22When he asked me, open your hand.
20:24Actually, when I open my hand, I use my old hand, you know.
20:30That's the nerve is still working.
20:31So just, I feel it.
20:33I open my hand.
20:35So, I'll get you to open your hand.
20:39Excellent.
20:40And just close on this bag.
20:42Mentally, it is very exhausting for Garnham to learn all these movements.
20:48And you can hold it like that.
20:50Operating a prosthetic arm is mentally extremely fatiguing.
20:57Usually when I finish from the training, straight away I go to bed like about two hours to get a
21:05wrist.
21:06You feel thirsty?
21:07Have some water.
21:08Good play.
21:10Well done.
21:13So far, Garnham has proven to us that whatever you throw at him, he will work with, and he exceeded
21:18all our expectations.
21:24You'll be running out of water.
21:26It's what's amazing.
21:27The first time I drink water by myself.
21:30Yeah.
21:37And also, I eat in chocolate.
21:42It's okay.
21:43Get the wrist.
21:44Oh, you can rotate the wrist as well if you want.
21:48Can you reach the back of your dick?
21:51I'm really, I'm very happy and excited to use my hand normally again.
21:55And I feel I'm very close to using it like normal.
21:58Yeah.
22:01All what I need, just to be in one place.
22:05And safe.
22:06And simple.
22:08With my family.
22:11High five.
22:13I still have hope.
22:15I never lost my hope.
22:17Yeah.
22:18It's easy.
22:19If I lost my hope, I'm not here right now.
22:29I've been in limbo for a long time.
22:36Since the last five years, I have nothing to know what's gonna happen.
22:43Did I will get a visa or no?
22:50Canim's best chance of staying in Australia was a permanent residency visa.
22:55And, you know, he'd always been given the confidence that there was going to be some kind of intervention at
23:01a ministerial level, given the unique circumstances that applied to him.
23:09I received a call from my case manager and immigration department, and he said,
23:16Are you ready to come to the office Monday?
23:22I went to the office, and that guy is coming down, and he said,
23:26Congratulations, Canim, you become a permanent resident.
23:30Oh, my God.
23:33I can't describe any words.
23:37I'm allowed to get a passport.
23:39You're allowed to apply sponsor for your family.
23:43And I did this straight away.
23:47The family, they go to the residency in Australia, and I start to prepare all the furniture for them.
23:54I'm very excited.
23:56Finally, they will live with me forever.
23:59So, I try to do my best.
24:02It's a short time.
24:09Excited.
24:11I find the house.
24:16Usually, in our culture, like most of this stuff, the wife done this.
24:21But I already spoken to her, and I said, Please leave me enjoy this time.
24:26Even if you need to change anything, I don't care.
24:29It's fine.
24:31Leave me enjoy this a moment.
24:33I haven't got this feeling almost 12 years.
24:38All right, Jörg, this is the dining table.
24:42Okay?
24:43We will have all love us together in one table.
24:50It's never happened before.
24:53Okay?
24:54I will sit in here, my wife and all my lovely boys around us.
25:01It's amazing.
25:03It's really amazing.
25:07Ghanim's arms, whilst they're incredible technology, his robotic arms are extremely heavy.
25:13And more recently, he's been given a pair of synthetic arms, which are a lot lighter.
25:21Hello.
25:22Oh, how are you going?
25:23Good, how are you?
25:24And how are things going?
25:26Everything going well, but only I have a little bit of a problem with the right arms.
25:31Still completing all the weights.
25:33It's heavy.
25:34Too heavy?
25:34Yeah.
25:35Should we just check out if the left one is working since I put the new battery in?
25:41Yeah.
25:41And then have a look at this one as well?
25:43No.
25:43Okay.
25:44All right.
25:45You tell me when it's in.
25:46One, two, three, that's it.
25:48Okay, that's it.
25:48Okay.
25:49So the left arm was fitted in 2019, and that's working quite well.
25:59The battery seems to be working.
26:02That's a good thing.
26:03Yeah.
26:04The right one we started working on, it took a bit longer in 2020.
26:08It's obviously a lot more complex with a shorter amputation level.
26:15We've discussed a few of the challenges, particularly around the right arm with Ganim, and the main hurdles currently are
26:23the weight, and just the cognitive energy that is required for Ganim to control the right arm.
26:30So we're thinking of simplifying the setup.
26:34There's always a lot of learning, and Ganim is very open to anything that can help him get more function.
26:52When we arrived at the airport, I saw my dad, so I left all the packages and everything.
26:59I ran to my dad and hugged him.
27:02My mom told us, don't run.
27:04Yousef will go first to hug his dad.
27:07When Yousef finished, we ran to our dad and hugged him.
27:13This is a very incredible result.
27:17My family and I, in one place.
27:28Waking up knowing that his wife and his boys are in the same house as him, it was like the
27:33start of a new life for Ganim.
27:37They understand, finally, this is true. They will live in with the father forever.
27:42Let's have a food.
27:46What are you feeling when you move to level two?
27:50Feeling that it's so easy.
27:52I don't think you are going to have any problems in living through.
27:57Yeah, I'm okay with it, to be in Australia.
28:00I was a little bit nervous at first, but now it's okay for me.
28:06In school, everything is so easy that I'm getting full marks and everything.
28:12Ganim's kids can already speak three or four languages.
28:16They're outgoing kids.
28:18And if they've got any sense of Ganim's character and resourcefulness, they're going to be just fine.
28:26Yes!
28:27Yes!
28:30We don't care where we need to be. We need to just be together.
28:34He's a strong man and never back down, never walk, never give up.
28:41Most of the people who are really close to me, when I was losing my best arms, they thought, like,
28:45I'm gone. That's it. The life ends.
28:49It's very important for me to never think what you have lost.
28:58Always you think what you have achieved.
29:00Yes!
29:02Yeah!
29:03My advice to everyone, if something happened in your life, this is not the end.
29:11Find out how you fix it. Find out how you're working on it.
29:15Believe yourself as much as you can. Don't feel it down.
29:19And believe me, one day, all your dreams will become true.
29:26Oh, my God, what the?
29:28Oh!
29:32Slowing on your brake, and then easing round, yeah, on your brake.
29:36Once again, we're going to get that downhill run.
29:39I'm Ganim Ali, I'm driving.
29:42I just need to take the balance of the steering, you know?
29:45Yeah, yeah.
29:56So, let's move on a way.
29:57As you can ahi down.
29:59I'm driving.
29:59I's driving.
30:00You know, I'm driving.
30:00We need One.
Comments