From the moment Alina entered the world, she began teaching everyone around her what strength truly looks like.
Alina’s mom, Sandra, remembers the hours after delivery clearly — the shock, the questions, and above all, the overwhelming desire to simply hold her baby. Alina was born with a congenital hand difference, something her family hadn’t anticipated after a pregnancy filled with reassuring checkups and screenings.
“I was shocked,” Sandra said. “But honestly, all I wanted was to hold my baby. Everything else could wait.”
Alina was born with thumb hypoplasia, a condition in which the thumb does not fully develop. She also failed to pass her newborn hearing screening. Alina is deaf in her right ear with partial hearing in her left, making sign language an essential part of how she connects and communicates with her family.
In her first year of life, Alina faced more than her fair share of challenges. She was frequently hospitalized with respiratory illnesses, including RSV, making early specialty care difficult to coordinate.
Rather than slowing her down, these challenges became part of the way her family learned and grew together.
“We learned so much with her,” Sandra said. “Sign language became part of our everyday life. And you would never guess everything she’s been through. She’s so smart.”
According to Dawn Rask, MD, a fellowship-trained pediatric hand surgeon at CHRISTUS Children’s, the thumb plays a critical role in how the hand functions.
“The thumb accounts for about 40% of overall hand function,” Dr. Rask explained. “Children can adapt without a thumb, but there are limits — especially when it comes to grasping and pinching objects.”
Thumb hypoplasia exists on a spectrum. In Alina’s case, the most effective option was pollicization, a procedure that transforms the index finger into a functioning thumb.
“The goal is to position the new thumb so the brain can learn to use it naturally as the child grows,” Dr. Rask said.
When Alina’s family first sought surgical guidance, they were told the procedure might need to wait until she was older. Dr. Rask offered a different perspective.
“I was trained to perform this surgery at earlier ages,” she said. “The earlier we do it, the more time the brain has to form those motor connections. Kids are incredibly adaptable.”
While performing surgery on smaller hands is technically more challenging, the long-term functional benefits often outweigh the difficulty.
“Alina was nearly 2 years old when she underwent the procedure,” Dr. Rask said. “While I prefer to do it even earlier, she has adapted beautifully.”
Surgery was only the beginning of Alina’s journey. Just two weeks after her procedure, she began outpatient occupational therapy with Safia Yusuf, OTR, the lead pediatric occupational therapist at CHRISTUS Children’s, who supported her recovery.
Alina’s early sessions were centered on confidence as much as movement. Over time, her therapy progressed from basic exploration to strengthening and coordination.
“We started by focusing on simple opening and closing movements to help her feel comfortable. Now we’re doing things like Play-Doh, working on pinching and strengthening that pincer grasp,” Yusuf said. “She’s improved so much.”
“Alina is the first patient I’ve worked with who has had this type of surgery,” Yusuf added.
“Watching her go from feeling apprehensive to confidently using her hand has been amazing.”
Occupational therapy plays a crucial role not only in recovery but also in helping children prepare for everyday milestones. For Alina, therapy also supports communication, fine motor coordination and daily independence.
“She now has a functional grasp,” Yusuf said. “She can hold markers, toys, cups — things she wasn’t able to do before.”
One of the biggest advantages for Alina and her family has been the close collaboration between surgeons and therapists. The multidisciplinary care approach at CHRISTUS Children’s involves constant communication and real-time collaboration, which translates directly into improved care.
“Patients get faster adjustments, faster answers and everyone is on the same page,” Yusuf said. “Parents, therapists, surgeons — we’re all working together for the best outcomes.”
More than milestones or medical outcomes, Alina has become a source of inspiration for her entire family.
“There’s no disability for us. I want her to do everything she wants to do,” Sandra said.
“She’s just another unique child. We learn from her every day. She’s fearless.”
Alina’s journey reflects what is possible when expert surgical care, dedicated therapy and compassionate teamwork come together.
With a strong hand, a fearless heart and a team that believes in her, Alina is proving every day that her future is wide open.
Discover how our Pediatric Orthopedic Services provide expert, compassionate care for growing bodies and busy lives. And learn more about Pediatric Rehabilitation Services and how our team supports children at every stage of growth.
