A woman who lost both her hands and was forced to wear a helmet for 10 years to protect her injured skull has opened up about her life – including going to university.
Shamiam Arif first made headlines a few years ago, after sharing the horrific “life-changing” ordeal she suffered aged just three when a candle fell into her cot and resulted in her bedding going up in flames.
The now 21-year-old is opening up about the realities of her day-to-day life including her most recent achievement, completing work on a film – which was part of her final year university project.
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“When I was little, I couldn’t brush my hair or anything,” Shamiam, who lives in Luton and studies at The University of Hertfordshire, told What’s The Jam.
“But I’ve always found ways to do things.
“I’ve never really felt any different because I grew up without hands from a young age – so to me, everything is quite normal, as I learn to adapt.
“There have been some incredible milestones though; for example, I was so happy with myself when I worked out how to do my coat up.
“My mum is a huge support to me with everyday things but I can be quite stubborn.
“At school, I didn’t ask for help until it was the last resort and I had to work hard to get out of that mindset.
“Creating my own film for my university project feels like a huge dream.
“I never thought I would get this far academically – university was really hard because I suffer from social anxiety.
“I’ve found with the people that I meet, it takes me a huge amount of time to get comfortable with them.
“But thankfully, I am able to push past my fears.
“I’ve always loved photography but there wasn’t a course for it at my college.
“So I did the closest course available; film and television.
“I fell in love with it.
“I was put in charge of the lighting and the credits, as well as making suggestions about what would work best for certain scenes, too.
“The experience of planning and production was one of the best things I have ever done.”
Shamiam moved to the UK from Pakistan as a result of her injury; living hours away from the nearest specialist hospital, she was brought to Britain to receive specialist medical treatment.
This included the creation of simulated hands, which she has learned to use to do everything from picking up cups to holding cutlery.
Treatment is still ongoing, with Shamiam spending her time sharing her story to encourage others.
With utmost determination, she got stuck into her university studies while undergoing major operations such as surgery on her left arm to give her two fingers on top of her simulated hand.
She was helped on this journey by The Teenage Cancer Trust, who provided her with a wig and headplate to replace the helmet she previously continually wore to protect her skull.
The helmet was needed to protect Shamiam’s skull after the devastating accident, which left it exposed.
The wig helped her achieve her dream of feeling like any other young girl and dramatically improved her confidence.
Shamiam said: “Studying with my disabilities has had its ups and downs.
“It was surprisingly easy for me to go to school because my teachers were so good.
“While it was difficult recovering from long operations, eventually, I only needed check-up appointments.
“When I was at college, they created a new piece of equipment that allowed me to control the cameras and the lighting, but sadly it didn’t work.
“Now my teammates just help me with that side of things – when it comes to screwing things on and stuff like that.
“I just tell them what to do, so I’m a director really.
“I always see the bright side to everything because there’s always a solution.”
Shamiam has now finished her first short film, Heaven Knows, which was written by another student and is about the Irish Troubles.
She hopes to inspire others to chase their dreams.
Shamiam added: “My family always says that I have a bright smile and that I’m super brave.
“I just try to put a smile on everything and laugh things off when they don’t go to plan.”
“I see myself behind the camera or on the director’s chair looking over at the set [in the future].
“I want to make things that I love and hopefully bring joy to other people when they see them.”
