SALEM BENSASI: When he started fighting, he started fighting to protect his city and his family.
Dr. IVAN TARKIN: Mohamed is a very special young man.
As I understand it, he's an accomplished rower...
...in his country.
And unfortunately he was involved in a military assault...
...where he needed to have a traumatic amputation...
... which was done on the battlefield.
MOHAMED RABTE: (speaking in Libyan)
BENSASI: He said it was a weird experience...
...because he didn't actually feel the injury, ...
.... He just felt the warm blood on his arm.
BENSASI: I promised him to ...
. . . come here. I'll do what i can to get him to the U.S.
I worked for UPMC for 26 years.
So i know the quality of care that he can get here. ...
Dr. MICHAEL MUNIN: The remaining portion of his arm ... .
...surgically looked fine to the naked eye...
But he was very sensititve to the light touch.
TARKIN: Any time you touched...
...one of those suspicious areas in his left arm -- I mean, he would jump.
MUNIN: So we were suspicious that he might have some underlying problems called 'neuroma'...
...which are kind of balled-up ends of the cut nerves from the amputation.
TARKIN: His short-term outcome is certainly a miracle.
MUNIN: He's virtually pain-free...
...he no longer has the hypersensitivity he once did.
We now have fitted him with kind of a social, daily arm...
...that has a robotic control that allows him to pick up objects with exquisite control.
... And the most important thing for him he was a champion rower in his ...
...home country of Libya.
We have iftted him with a secondary arm ...
...that is adapted for rowing only.
ROBERT DOBSON: It has a universal joint for the elbow...
...and it has a...
... friction ball joint...
...for the wrist unit.
And it has a specially designed rowing terminal device that clips around the paddle.
JOY NIX: So, Mohamed what we're going to do first....
...is we're going to get in...
...and shove-off.
BENSASI: I had tears in my eyes. I really did. I felt very, very excited. And very happy..
[indistinct chatter] RABTE: Nice to row with you.
BENSASI: He couldn't believe he'd be out there rowing [this fast]. The dream came true.
Thank you. Thank you.
