Help injured family evacuate Gaza

Help injured family evacuate Gaza

Hi, my name is Najwa, I'm a Gazan living in America. I'm making this fundraiser to help my nephew and his family evacuate Gaza due to homelessness.

About two months into the genocide my niece-in-law, Ameera, was shot through the window. She had to have emergency surgery leaving her wheelchair-bound, unable to get around in the bombarded terrain. We hope to evacuate them from Gaza so she can get proper medical help and so that they and their children (5 and 2) can escape homelessness.

I asked Ameera to write a short statement to include in the GFM:

Dear friends and community members,

My name is Ameera, I'm 29 years old, working in the administrative field. My husband, Kamal, 35 years old, is a pharmacist working. We have two children, Majd, 5 years old, and Laila, 2 years old. we are a small, happy Palestinian family we lived a beautiful calm life in Gaza. However, we found ourselves amid an unrelenting storm of war, leading us to homelessness.

On October 9, our home was mercilessly bombed, completely destroying it. on the sixth floor of our small house, where we meticulously designed our cozy space, fell victim to the chaos of war. The house, a symbol of our dreams and promises, worth $120,000, is now reduced to rubble, and we have lost everything. Every corner of our home once held memories, and it is heart-wrenching to recall how I used to organize it, preparing for our return on that fateful day – the last day we didn't realize we wouldn't witness our comeback.

The destruction forced us to take refuge in a church. We are now displaced in the Deir Latin Church in Gaza, along with our small community of 900 Christian people throughout the Strip. Living conditions are miserable. Access to healthy food is difficult, and for months we have been deprived of basic necessities such as vegetables, fruits, meat medicine, food, water, and electricity. Our children, who deserve proper nutrition, are growing up in the challenging and unhealthy environment that currently characterizes Gaza

We also experienced the loss of my husband's cousins and their families—12 people who went to heaven simultaneously due to the bombing of the Orthodox Church. The situation is dire, and we hope for better days ahead.

On December 15th, during our displacement in the church, we experienced a challenging day as the shelling intensified, close and terrifying. My husband and I decided to leave our room to find a safer area, carrying our children. When the nearby shelling erupted, I felt the hot shrapnel piercing both of my legs. Time seemed to freeze, the air became heavy, and pain intensified with every moment. I found myself lying on the ground, surrounded by the sounds of pain and my screams filling the air.

The shrapnel entered from the left to the right, causing an explosive fracture in my left leg and settling in my right leg. There were capable doctors in the church, also displaced like us, who provided immediate first aid. My questions were filled with horror and uncertainty as if each word carried the weight of life and death. Moments seemed slow and painful, and a sense of helplessness crept slowly with every heartbeat.

Getting to the hospital during this period was challenging as we were trapped. The time spent waiting before the operation was long and turbulent, where physical pain mixed with psychological agony. I saw worry in the eyes of my children, husband, family, and loved ones - a concern beyond description, adding to the burden of pain and despair. The screams turned into silence, yet the pain and immobility made me feel powerless.

I was transferred to the hospital two and a half weeks after the injury, where I underwent a surgical procedure to stabilize the fractures. Time passed, and the moment of hope came when I felt an improvement in my condition, ready to return to daily life. Unfortunately, things were not that simple. It turned out that there was a need for an additional operation to implant a bone graft to regain the ability to walk, and I am still waiting for the surgery today. I, Ameera, wonder within myself: Will I walk? Will I undergo the operation? I dream like a little girl learning to walk.

This is where I need your support. The costs of medical treatment, travel, and ongoing care are substantial. I am embarking on a journey of healing, and your contribution can make an immense difference. Every donation, no matter how small, is a step towards restoring not just my mobility but the hope for a brighter future for my family.

I invite you to join us on this journey. Your generosity will directly impact our lives, helping us overcome the challenges that stand between us and a full recovery. Share in our story, be a part of our hope and let's walk this path together.

Thank you for your support and kindness.