My name is Sara Zaqout, and I'm fundraising to get my aunt, Mayasa Abusultan, her two children, and her husband out of Gaza. This is her story:

My hopes in this world were not high -- I only desired a quiet life and a good education for my children. Following the onset of the Gaza war, I avoided places of clashes as much as possible. I took my two children and my husband to a friend’s house, only to be exposed to bombing in this house. Five floors collapsed above us, and a miracle from God kept us alive. My husband suffered severe fractures in his leg, I suffered burns on my face and body, and both of my children sustained shrapnel wounds. As a result of the current lack of medical capabilities in Gaza, temporary treatment is necessary. As for the shrapnel wounds that haunt me and my children, their treatment has been postponed until doctors and their resources are available in Gaza.

I decided to return to my house out of fear for my two children. They had recently turned four and six years old, and I feared for their health as epidemics and diseases spread throughout the hospital. In my return to my home, I found it completely burned down with all its contents destroyed, since it had served as a command post for the Israeli army during the period we were away from it. After the conclusion of their mission, it had been destroyed. It was burned down completely, and I found nothing but ashes inside it. I returned to move my two children and their father from place to place, as it was my responsibility to provide water and food in an area that was suffering from drought and famine. But what weighs heavily on me and exhausts me is the terror that my children feel so intensely about the horrors of war. Karim, the six-year-old, as soon as he looks in the mirror and notices the shrapnel on his face, feels pain until he asks me, "Can we travel outside Gaza and receive treatment until the war ends?" I did not try to answer his question, as we currently have nothing but the clothes we

wear.

We lost everything under the rubble of the house, but the repetition of his question made me come to you. I pray I can receive the necessary financial aid that will give us a chance to get away from this horrific war and treat the faces of my children.

August 29, 2025 

عندما بدأنا هذه الحملة، كان هدفنا الخروج من غزة لتلقي العلاج بعد إصابتنا خلال الحرب. لكن مع مرور الوقت وازدياد الحصار وشدة الأوضاع، أصبح السفر حلمًا بعيدًا. نزحنا أكثر من مرة، وحملنا أطفالنا من ركامٍ إلى آخر، من خوفٍ إلى جوع. لم يبقَ لنا مأوى ثابت، ولا قوت يومٍ مضمون. لا طعام كافٍ، لا ماء نظيف، لا كهرباء، ولا أدوية. زوجي ما زال يعاني من إصابته ويحتاج إلى رعاية مستمرة، وأنا أحاول أن أحافظ على أطفالي أحياء وآمنين في ظروف لا تحتمل. المبلغ الذي تم جمعه استُنفد خلال الحرب لتمكيننا من البقاء على قيد الحياة في غزة. أطفالي الآن بحاجة لمساعدتكم أكثر من أي وقت مضى. المجاعة تفتك بأجسادهم الصغيرة، حتى أعضامهم باتت ظاهرة من شدة الجوع، وأنا عاجزة عن إنقاذهم. بينما أنتم، بدعمكم لنا، يمكنكم منحهم فرصة أخرى للبقاء على قيد الحياة. المبلغ الذي تم جمعه لم يكن كافيًا لتأمين العلاج في الخارج، لكنه اليوم قد يكون طوق النجاة لنا للبقاء هنا. لم نعد نبحث عن علاج فقط، بل عن البقاء على قيد الحياة. نحن بحاجة إلى مساعدتكم من جديد. دعمكم هو الأمل الوحيد في هذا الظلام. شكرًا من القلب لكل من ساندنا وشاركنا وجعنا.

When we started this campaign, our goal was to leave Gaza to receive medical treatment after being injured during the war. But as time passed and the siege tightened, the situation grew harsher, and traveling became a distant dream. We were displaced multiple times, carrying our children from one rubble to another, from fear to hunger. We no longer had a stable shelter or guaranteed daily food. There was not enough food, clean water, electricity, or medicine. My husband still suffers from his injuries and requires ongoing care, and I try my best to keep my children alive and safe under unbearable conditions. The funds raised were exhausted during the war to help us survive here in Gaza. My children now need your help more than ever. Hunger is consuming their fragile bodies, their bones are becoming visible from severe malnutrition, and I am powerless to save them. But you, through your support, can give them another chance to stay alive. The amount raised was not enough to secure treatment abroad, but today it could be our lifeline to survive here. We are no longer seeking treatment alone, but fighting for our very survival.  We need your help once again. Your support is the only hope in this darkness.

 From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who has stood by us and shared our pain.