Help Samer Reunite with His Family & Cover Living Expenses

My name is Caroline and it's been an honor to meet Samer Ladaa through my friend Anas in the Gaza strip. Samer was the racquetball instructor for Anas' two boys. When Anas asked if I could help create a GoFundMe to support Samer's family and evacuation, I was happy to. Samer's story is profoundly challenging, but he has proceeded with grace and I'm in awe of his resilience and kindness.

Samer worked as a purchasing officer at Al Amal Institute for Orphans in the Gaza Strip. During the aggression against Gaza, he was displaced with his family three times; from Al-Nasr to Al-Rimal to Deir Al-Balah to Rafah, to the outskirts of Deir Al-Balah, heeding the instruction of the Israeli army. After two weeks of displacement in Rafah, the house next to his family was bombed leaving 80% of his close relatives martyred: his mother and father, his beautiful 8 year-old daughter Massa, his brother and sister-in-law, all of their children, and two of his uncles were martyred in this bombing.

Walking with his daughter Massa during the war before she was martyred.

Samer’s wife, Aya, was pulled out from under the rubble. She suffered a spinal injury of the fifth vertebra and fractures in her ribcage. They were able to transfer her to Egypt for a costly surgery where doctors added 16 screws and two platinum rods. She now requires physical therapy for recovery.

Their infant son born during the war, Taim, suffered a hernia in the diaphragm and was thrown from inside the room to the outside. He miraculously survived, and was also transferred to Egypt where he’s had three surgeries including the removal of his spleen, and now requires ongoing weekly medical treatment.

Samer suffered a moderate head injury, and the immediate aftermath was shown on Al Jazeera in this video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1CEpkqM81Y/?igshid=NGEwZGU0MjU5Mw%3D%3D

His six year old son, Moaz, was not subjected to any physical injury, but he’s been subjected to a difficult psychological situation after parting with his sister, the martyr Massa. He is constantly asking about her. He says things like, ”I wish Massa was with me in this game. We used to play it together.”

Samer was able to evacuate his wife, her mother, and their two remaining children to Egypt. Here's a video interviewing his wife Aya as they receive aid from a volunteer org after entering Egypt.

Now he needs assistance with their living expenses: their travel costs, monthly house rent, and medical treatments for her and their infant. And Samer is still in Gaza – separated from his dearest loved ones due to the high price of travel arrangements to Egypt at $5,000 per person. Please help him reunite with his remaining family in Egypt and cover critical medical and living costs. In his own words, “They are all I have left in this world.”

Before and after the bombing of the family's shelter in Rafah, which resulted in the martyrdom of his 8 year old, Massa and severe injuries for Aya and infant Taim who was thrown from inside the room to the outside and miraculously survived.

Cost Breakdown

1- Partial destruction of the house: $20,000

2- Samer lost his job with a monthly salary of $800 *9=7200 USD

3- The price of Aya's spinal adjustment surgery, 2 and 16 iron rods were installed in my spine to correct the spine, is $5000.

4- Rent and living expenses (loans, aid, etc.) ($4,000 * 9 = $36,000)

5- Aya and baby's medical expenses (700*6=4200 dollars)

6- Samer's travel costs are $5,000

7- The value of Samer's car that was destroyed ( $7,000)

8- Cost of living for the next year (4000*12 = 48 thousand dollars)

Benefitting Family Members

Samer (father, 37 years)

Aya (mother, 30 years)

Moaz (older son, 7 years)

Taim/Tim (infant son, 7 months)

Thank you for providing direct aid to this family. There is no amount that is too small - you are making a real difference.

Photo Gallery

Samer and mother before she was killed / Samer's parents before they were martyred

Samer and his daughter Massa (martyred), his "beloved Diamond."

Samer and his family before the war (Feb '23)

Samer and his family before the war (April '23) - His parents and daughter have since been martyred by an Israeli bombing of their shelter in Rafah.

The aftermath of the Rafah shelter bombing that martyred 80% of Samer's sheltering family.

Gravesite of his family members martyred in the Israeli bombing of their Rafah shelter.