Boun Lod’s first two surgeries in November were to improve her mobility by releasing skin under her arms. Since she’s gotten out of her splints, she’s been showing everyone how high she can lift her arms. Looks like the operations were successful!
Boun Lod and her parents flew to Philadelphia in early December to stay with family there while Boun Lod continues her recovery. All of her wounds have healed, but her parents still do twice-a-day therapy with her to reduce the amount of hypertrophic scar tissue that forms.
She must be growing at a great rate, as the burn pressure garment she’s been wearing since she left Cincinnati is already getting too small.
Christmas was an exciting time for Boun Lod. She was thrilled to see the “real” Santa, as opposed to the “stand-in” that comes to Lao. Having said that, she looks a little more wary than excited in her Christmas photo. Apparently she was able to tell Santa what she wanted, as something arrived for her on Christmas Eve.
Boun Lod with Santa
As mentioned before, Boun Lod has also been accepted as a patient at the Shriners Hospital for Children in Philadelphia. The hospital’s specialty is orthopaedics, and Boun Lod has had her first clinic visit, starting the process of getting her prosthetic arms designed and built. Once the prostheses are ready, the therapists will work with her and teach her how to use her new arms.
Several weeks ago, an assessment team from a social services agency that works with the Philadelphia school system visited Boun Lod to determine how best to help her integrate into the school system. We understand that the report is ready, and we’re just waiting to see what the team recommends. We expect Boun Lod to start school very shortly.
We had expected Boun Lod’s next surgeries to be in mid February, but the dates have now been set for the end of March. The family will return to Cincinnati shortly before Boun Lod’s late-March admission date. We don’t know exactly what the surgeons have in mind for this round, but we expect them to begin cosmetic surgery on Boun Lod’s face and neck.
Boun Lod and her family will put the next few weeks until her March surgeries to good use by continuing her therapy, by getting her prosthetics organized, and by getting her off to school to make some new friends and to improve her English.
The Boun Lod Fund 
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