Hiba Sheikh happily credits Dr. Imran Ratanshi for giving her back her freedom after an ordeal that began with an ill-fated trip to Mexico—and one and a half years of immobility.
Just a few years ago, she came to Surrey from Dubai at the age of 19, and today Hiba works at a childcare centre and lives with her sister and parents. But she had no idea what was in store for her when she decided on a Mexican vacation with a friend. On the second day of the trip, the two were relaxing on a restaurant balcony when they heard shots fired below. Scared and confused, people began jumping to the ground and a panicked Hiba followed suit, but she found herself jumping into a pool of blood. She’d been shot in the ankle.
After the terrifying experience, Hiba spent five days in a Mexican hospital where things went from bad to worse—waking up during surgery due to inadequate anesthetic, then later learning they’d inserted a product no longer used elsewhere.
After flying home in unbearable pain, Hiba was seen immediately at Surrey Memorial Hospital for surgery. Six more surgeries followed over the next one and a half years to reconstruct the bony defect in her ankle using a free tissue transfer from her knee. The last ankle-saving surgery was with Dr. Imran Ratanshi in December 2020. Within four months, Hiba was finally back on her feet and back to herself. In fact, she’s doing so well, she even caught herself running for a bus!
Today, Hiba says you don’t know how strong you are until you’re put into a situation where you have no choice but to be strong. She credits her faith and Dr. Ratanshi’s expertise for her recovery. Hiba can’t speak highly enough of his work and the freedom it has given her.
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