Palestinian Girl Gets Life-Changing Surgery To Walk For the First Time

— -- A 2-year-old Palestinian girl will get the chance to walk with both her feet for the first time after undergoing surgery this week for a genetic birth defect.

Hizar Haikal was born with a tibial deficiency meaning one leg is significantly bowed and shorter than the other. While it hasn't stopped the 2-year-old girl from getting where she wants to go, it did mean she would be unable to walk without surgery.

While her family in Jenin, Palestine didn't have access to the advanced treatments that would allow her to walk, the non-profit group the Palestinian's Childrens Relief Fund knew they could help. This summer the group brought Hizar through their Portland, Oregon chapter so she could get the necessary surgery.

Jwana Ibsies, medical coordinator for the chapter, said that surgeons at the Shriner's Hospital for Children will amputate Hizar's leg above the knee and then fit her with a prosthetic. While the surgery is serious, the group's biggest concern for the toddler is getting her to slow down so that she can heal and go through physical therapy.

"She crawls like a superwoman I've never seen a baby crawl that fast," Ibsies told ABC News. "She goes up stairs and downstairs. She's just a happy kid, she laughs she smiles."

Ibsies said they expect her to go through physical therapy for about three months before she is sent back to Palestine. Hizar will get two to three different prosthetic legs as she grows and when she's 14 she's expected to come back to Portland to get her adult prosthetic leg.

Ibsies translated for Hizar's aunt Haya Haikal, who told ABC News affiliate KATU-TV that she was "scared" about operation.

"She also has hope that she'll get better and be able to walk," Ibsies said for Haikal.

The operation is scheduled for Thursday and Ibsies said they're already devising ways to help Hizar stay off her injured leg.

"[We have] to hold her down for six weeks because she's a firecracker," said Ibsies.