The happy dance of an Afghan boy receiving the prosthesis of his new leg become viral

With arms raised and a contagious smile from one ear to the other, a young Afghan gives twists of joy in a hospital room in Kabul with the prosthesis of his new right leg.

The boy, Ahmad Sayed Rahman, five, moved to Afghanistan after a short video in which she seems to dance effortlessly with her new leg was published this week on Twitter.

Since Monday, the video of about 20 seconds has been viewed more than 500,000 times.

The little Ahmad He dances with ease in an orthopedic center of the Red Cross in the Afghan capital, while medical staff and other patients encourages him in his dance.

"He's still dancing and showing how happy he is to have a prosthesis for his leg", amputated just below the knee, said Tuesday to AFP the mother of the child, Rayeesa, in the same medical center.

"I am very happy for him that he has received this artificial leg and that he can now be autonomous"he added as the child moves to the rhythm of a local melody heard from a mobile phone.

Ahmad is a "long-time patient"says her physiotherapist, Semeen Sarwari, who has been working for 18 years in this center frequented by many war amputees. "He came to change (prosthesis) because he grew up. "

This is the fourth prosthesis that he receives in his life.

"Because he's a kid and wants to play, he wants to have a leg and so he fits faster" than adult amputees, he added.

Ahmad and his parents, farmers, are from Logar Province, south of Kabul.where fighting between government forces and the Taliban is frequent.

"My daughter was outside with him when he was barely eight months old and they were hit by bullets", said to the mother.

Both children were disabled. But Ahmadsince he's received his first prosthesis at the age of one yearhe learned to dance and he was delighted, remember the mother of this child with contagious enthusiasm.

Only in 2018, 3,804 civilians were killed, including more than 900 children, and more than 7,000 wounded in Afghanistan, according to the UN. It's the most deadly year yet for civilian victims of the Afghan conflict.

(By Amélie HERENSTEIN, AFP)