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Many Palestinians have lost their lives since 2006 after Israel refused to issue medical permits to those living in the Gaza Strip. For the past 16 years, Israel has imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip after the Palestinian resistance group Hamas won the legislative election.
While children affected by cancer receive medical leave to be treated in Quds hospitals, their parents are not allowed to accompany them. They are either left alone in hospitals or one of the grandparents is only allowed to take care of them.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) on the occasion of International Children Cancer Day, which is celebrated on February 15, Nimah Alyan, 22, from Quds, said that to overcome such issues, she has created an initiative to helping children affected by cancer and their families.
“We were nine friends in the beginning, today we are more than 20 volunteers from Quds and its neighborhoods. “This experience has made my heart soft,” she said.
The idea to form the group came when Alyan met seven-month-old Mayar, who had come from Gaza to Quds after being diagnosed with a tumor in the retina. Although her mother was allowed to accompany her to the Israeli hospital Hadassah Ain Karam, she was unable to communicate with anyone in the hospital.
“For more than ten days her mother did not know any clear details about her daughter’s health because she did not speak Hebrew or English. “Because of this, the mother was scared and she thought the doctors would do an operation to remove her daughter’s eye,” she said.
Meanwhile, the mother herself became ill, as she was pregnant and could not take care of her sick child.
Overwhelmed by the pressure, the mother sent a message to one of the social media activists in Quds, who conveyed the message to Alyan. A few hours later, Alyan was in the hospital with that activist.
“We spoke to the medical staff there and they explained the details of the situation in Hebrew. “Language is one of the main challenges for Palestinians coming from Gaza,” Alyan told AA.
They drive the children from the Beit Hanoun military barrier north of Gaza to Quds in their cars, escorting them to the hospital and offering support during their chemotherapy and surgical treatment.
“Those who speak Hebrew stay with the children to understand and follow the medical situation for them and to give these details to their families in Gaza,” she added.
Alyan stressed that they are also trying to help in the social aspect by keeping in touch between the volunteers and the families of the children and by carrying out support activities in the hospital to make these children feel safe and well.
“These children are part of us and their stories touch me deeply. “For the rest of my life, I can not forget the expressions on Mayar’s mother’s face when we told her that her baby would not lose sight of it,” said Alyan.
In collaboration with the cancer department of Augusta Victoria Hospital, the initiative carries out voluntary recreational activities often as well as assistance in providing accommodation supplies for children.
“When I see the feeling of security and peace in the eyes of these children, I understand the importance of what we are doing and we must continue to do so,” she said.
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