Rebuild Baby Walid and His Family's Future in Gaza

Who we are:

We are a group of volunteers in Boston who welcomed Heba and baby Walid into our community in March 2024. Heba Alastal and Baby Walid Alastal are currently staying with a kind host family in Boston and receive support from a generous community of volunteers. Over the past few months, we have witnessed baby Walid's progress and post-surgical recovery. As Heba and baby Walid prepare to go back home and reunite with their family, we are raising funds to secure their daily needs and future rebuilding goals.

Below is a timeline of Baby Walid's journey and this is a link to a news report about Walid's journey on local Boston television featuring Baby Walid, Heba, and our group of volunteers: Nora - Event Planner, Nour - MD-PhD student at Harvard Medical School & MIT, and the host family.

Baby Walid's journey

Baby Walid's milestones

Baby Walid before and after surgery

Baby Walid and Heba's journey from Gaza to Boston:

Heba and her 10-month-old baby Walid, came from Khan Younis in Gaza to Boston for urgent neurosurgery. Walid has a condition called craniosynostosis, where his skull bones fuse prematurely. He required urgent and complex surgery that was delayed because of the war.

With the help of a non-profit organization, Baby Walid and his mom Heba traveled to Boston for crucial neurosurgery, from which Walid is now recovering. Meanwhile, Walid’s father, 3-year-old sister Sila, and 5-year-old sister Eleen remain in Gaza, sheltering in a tent with over 30 others, including their grandmother, her sister whose husband was killed and left her with 6 young children, and other relatives who have also lost their homes.

In order for Walid to receive life-saving medical care, Heba had to say goodbye to her daughters and husband

As Heba and Walid prepare to return home to their family, we aim to meet their immediate needs (water, food, clothing and shelter) and support their plans for returning and rebuilding.

Sila and Eleen, rummaging through the rubble of their destroyed home

Eleen and Sila after the start of the war

Heba and baby Walid as he continues to recover from his first surgery

Breaking down the costs that make up our fundraising goal:

There is so much uncertainty in Heba and Walid’s worlds right now. This fundraiser will serve two goals:

As many of you know, the costs of transferring money directly to Gaza are often high and banks and money transfer companies take a cut from the wire transfer. We will do our due diligence to ensure that we use the most effective way to transfer the money, and yet inevitably some of the fundraising amount will be used for the transfer cost.