My name is Nina Gorman a  counselor and social science teacher from  Philadelphia, PA, USA. I am doing this campaign to help 3 year old amputated Fedaa Khaled Thari  and her family from Deir Al-Balah  survive in the Gaza war and hopefully evacuate to Qatar where Fedaa can get medical treatment and the prosthesis she needs for both her legs.   A few months ago the family’s tent was bombed in central Gaza leading to Fedaa losing both her legs. She needs medicines for pain and food and drink to heal and the whole family is hungry from the starvation campaign imposed by the occupation which is blocking food, medicine, fuel, electricity and water. The family includes seven: father Khaled Ahmed Abu Thari, 49 years old, mother Maryam Juma Abu-Ar (47), Mohammed Khaled Thari (18), Abdul (16), Samar (13), Jalal (11) and Fedaa (3).

  I came to know the family of Fedaa through my friend Mohammed Q , a friend for the past two years  when Fedaa’s mother, Maryam came to his tent crying due to their need for food and drink and also Fedaa being too sad to play and hoping to get her medications and psychiatric care.  I gave what little I could but it was not enough to get Fedaa the medicines she needs, food and drink for her and the family to keep from starving or any psychiatric care at all.

  Due tothe blockade of medical supplies there are no prosthesis available especially for such a little child. She will need many surgeries and many fittings of prosthesis her whole life as she grows. After the war, the family hopes to go to Qatar which is known for its high quality medical facilities for amputated adults and children especially for prostheses. Likely, they will have to evacuate to Egypt first through the private Y-Hala company and from there apply for medical visa for Qatar.

   Before the war, the family was able to survive as vegetable sellers but now there are almost no vegetables available to sell or for anyone to eat due to the brutal blockade by the occupation that is attempting to exterminate the Palestinian people. There are  few canned goods, mostly expired and mostly of beans and none of vegetables and there is a little rice and noodles but there is no fish, no eggs, no dairy, no meat and what little potatoes and tomatoes and flour when there is no one can afford.Thus, the family is exhausted with malnourishment and with frustration that cannot keep Fedaa out of pain or make her happy.

  All donations will be transferred from my secure bank account to the secure Paypal of Khaled Ahmed Abu Thari

 Here is Maryam in her own words:

  My name is Maryam Juma Al-Ar I am  47 years old,mother of 3 year old Fedaa and wife of Khaled Ahmed Abu Thari (49 years old)  from Deir Al-Balah Gaza and mother of five.   We have been through so much suffering in this war that is unimaginable. Before the war our life was difficult with enduring the blockade of nearly 20 years and wars every few years but we were able to survive and live in a house and have some degree of comfort even though not much electricity.  Despite the blockade with the vegetable business of my husband Khaled  and our family  always allowed us to have fresh vegetables and be healthy.

   Then this war came, war of all wars, when we lost our home in bombing and lost many friends and relatives with many injured. We have been displaced many times to escape bombings, losing items each time we move. So we have been living in a tent, stifling hot in the summer and cold in the winter, and flooding whenever it rains and cooking on wood with smoke in the air from cooking and bombs, with explosions that come night and day leaving the Fedaa and all the children in the displaced camp crying in fear with us not able to console them. We have to walk many miles for water and we need clean water especially for Fedaa so she heals and does not get infected. The occupation has bombed most of the water infrastructure and now threatens to bomb what remains to kill us.

   I saw many children maimed and injured and killed and I prayed it would not happen to us. But then the explosion came for us with my Fedaa close enough to be hit. Who does this? Who targets children and why did this happen to my little girl? What is her fault? At least she survived since we were able to get her to rescue to save her but could not save her legs. If ambulances were not blocked and had fuel maybe we could have saved her legs. She had to endure a lot of pain since we could not afford medications enough for after the operation for pain and to prevent infection and because of lack of nourishing food, is not easy for her to heal.  

   We endured hunger from the continuing almost total blockades even though trucks of food lay meters away taunting us. We still endure explosions and Fedaa shakes in fear wondering if she will be hit again and my husband Khaled and I and our children Mohammed, Abduel, Samar and Jalal also wonder if we will be next for injury or death.

   We need so many things, food, drink, clothes, items to repair the tent, funds for transportation to visit the doctor for Fedaa or when we get sick which happens often or when we get rashes, a phone that works, a battery to charge the phone, a fan so we do not sweat constantly from the temperature that is now is 39 celsius, fabric and wood for when the tent breaks or floods as it often does with the weather. I could go on and on but is hard to talk anymore since the pain is endless.

   Though we love our land, our priority now is to survive and for Fedaa to get some happiness again. She will not play. She needs prosthesis so she can play again with the other children. She sits and cries instead. I want to get her psychiatric care and prosthesis for her two missing legs. So we have decided when the crossings open to leave to go to Qatar and even if we can secure medical evacuation for Fedaa the occupation will only allow one to go with her but we all want to be together and go to Qatar which has good hospitals to help her. I urge you to look at us with your kind hearts and give what you can to help us and our little girl survive in Gaza, go to Qatar and be happy again away from the fears, the tears of constant explosions, hunger and pain.   May God Bless You

     Sincerely,  Maryam

 Here is the BUDGET for the Campaign

 Food for Family of Seven for 3  months including lentils, noodles, beans, rice, potatoes and if can afford or if available, flour eggplant, tomatoes, greens, beets, and if becomes available chicken, lamb, and eggs, sugar, tea and oil  (500/month)                  $1500

 Drinkable water for family of seven (200/month) for 3 months $600   

Medicine for pain, antibiotics  and for bone and immune system 

   Supplements (200/month for three months)                                   $600

Transportation in Gaza and Doctor consults for family of 7 

    For 3 months $800             

Tent Repair                                                  $200

Gas Tube for cooking $200

2 Fans with built in battery $360

Battery for charging electricity $300

Phone                                                                                                $300

Clothes for family of seven in Gaza for 3 months                            $1000

   For pants, shirts, pajamas, underwear

Food in Egypt for 3 months until can secure income including

     Chicken, lamb, beef, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash

         Beans, rice, noodles, flour, eggplant, cereal, peanut butter,

        sugar, tea, coffee, and green vegetables                                 $1200

Modest 3 in Egypt Bedroom house or apartment rental

         For family of 7  for 3 months   $833/month                             $2500

Transportation in Egypt for Family of 7 for 3 months                         $600

Medical care in Egypt for Family of 7 for 3 months                          $1400

Prosthesis Fitting (with search for grant funding)                               $300

Clothes for Family of 7 in Egypt for 3 months                                   $1000

Evacuation to Egypt by Y Hala Company for 3 adults                   $15,000

    And for 4 children $10,000

  TOTAL$37,860

   All funds from donations will be transferred from my secure bank account

     To the secure PayPal of Khaled Ahmed Abu Thari