Help Moomen save his family and his eyesight

Team fundraiser

Emma Tracey and 2 others are organizing this fundraiser.

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Hello,

Why did my family and I leave our home and relocate to Rafah? And why are we now living in a tent? Who am I, and what's my story?

I'm Moomen Aldahdouh, a computer engineer, aged 25. It all started on Saturday morning, October 7th of last year, as I was getting ready to head to my new job. Suddenly, we heard massive and continuous explosions. We didn't understand what was happening until we realized it was the brutal war that began that day, a war unlike any we've seen before.

We stayed, my family and me, in intense fear in our home for 42 days, with danger lurking around us. During this time, we heard the sound of explosions and bullets falling around us. We witnessed complete destruction of three neighboring houses without any prior warning. One night, a missile fell on our house, but luckily it didn't explode.

We decided to evacuate to Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, where we walked about 20 kilometers under the sun, carrying essential belongings, until we reached the checkpoint where we stood for five continuous hours before finally reaching Khan Yunis.

This is me and my brother near our tent in Khan Yunis

After a few days, the military operation in Khan Yunis began, so we fled again to Rafah, which was subjected to shelling and threatened with a ground invasion by the army. The danger to our lives increased day by day.

We are now living in a small tent, moving it from place to place in search of safety, lacking any health and safety amenities. We have no choice but to leave Gaza.

This story began 180 days ago, with the onset of the war on Gaza. This war has robbed me of everything I own. I lost my home, my friends, my family, my workplace, and our once peaceful and beautiful life. It has also thwarted my plans for travel to Dubai earlier this year to begin my new job at FoxyTech. The war has shattered my path towards achieving my dreams.

Before the war when I was pitching my startup idea to secure investment.

This is a picture of me at Gaza Port before the war

This brutal war prevented me from completing eye surgery, which pains me greatly. Could there be anything more precious than my eyes in this world? I had corneal cone stabilization surgery in my right eye, and I had a reservation to complete the procedure in the left eye just 18 days after the start of the war. Additionally, I also underwent medical consultation at the hospital and obtained a medical referral to continue treatment abroad. However, I have been waiting for 60 days now, and my name has not yet been added to the patient list, unfortunately. I am required to pay a coordination fee of $5000 to have my name added to the list.

After 180 days of relentless hardship, I find myself compelled to seek your support and solidarity for the survival of my family. Our only viable solution is evacuation, and we urgently require assistance to cover the necessary coordination costs for travel through the Rafah crossing, as well as treatment and accommodation expenses in Egypt. We are a family of six: my mother (Nadia Aldahdouh, aged 55), my father (Sameer Aldahdouh, aged 65), my sister (Safaa Aldahdouh, aged 20), my brothers (Moones Aldahdouh, aged 18) and (Mahmoud Aldahdouh, aged 26), and myself (Moomen Aldahdouh, aged 25).

My father, my brothers Moones, Mahmoud, and Ahmad in our home before the war.

Each member of my family requires between $5000 to $6000 to facilitate their passage across the borders. Additionally, I require $9300 for essential surgery and ring implantation in both of my eyes. Furthermore, the cost of the surgery is as follows: $700 for corneal cone stabilization in my left eye, $8000 for ring implantation in both of my eyes., and $600 for medication. Additionally, $1000 is needed to cover initial settlement expenses and accommodation in Egypt. My initial goal for my GoFundMe covers just the essential evacuation. Hopefully we can also raise enough money to save my eyesight too.

Every donation, no matter how small, brings us closer to survival. Please help us in any way you can.