Save Grandma Asmahan and Little Angel Farah from Gaza

Goal of the Fund: Evacuate Grandma Asmahan and her family from the war in Gaza.

Beneficiaries of the Fund:

1. Asmahan Abunada Madi: 54 years old, Homemaker. Suffers from hypertension and diabetes.

2. Mohamed Madi: 33 years old, Engineer.

3. Alaa Abunada Madi: 30 years old, Graphic Designer.

4. Mahmoud Madi: 11 years old

5. Majd Madi: 8 years old

6. Adam Madi: 2.5 years old

7. Sabah Madi Abunada: 32 years old, Math Teacher and Caregiver.

8. AbdAlRahman Abunada: 34 years old, Computer Engineer.

9. Farah Abunada: 8 years old. Suffers from Sanfilippo Syndrome and its complex symptoms.

10. Osama Abunada: 4 years old.

11. Nada Madi: 29 years old, Graphic Designer.

12. Malak Madi: 26 years old, Pharmacist.

13. Said Madi: 24 years old, Programmer and Computer Science major.

14. Maha Madi: 23 years old, Interior Design major.

Farah’s story, as relayed by her family:

The journey that we are stating below is difficult for all the adults and children who lived through it and experienced it, however, it is particularly difficult for Farah who is now 8 years of age and was born with a rare genetic condition called Sanfilippo syndrome. Farah has faced a multitude of developmental challenges since infancy due to her condition. Her organs have enlarged beyond her frame, and her symptoms have progressively worsened, requiring constant care, support, and patience.

In Gaza, where specialized resources for children with special needs are scarce, Farah's journey is particularly arduous. Despite the lack of institutions equipped to assist children like Farah, Sabah stands as a beacon of strength and love, tirelessly caring for her daughter's well-being. Yet, with all that Sabah can give, she cannot do it alone. Sabah finds solace and support in her extended family, especially her grandmother and her aunts, who offer invaluable assistance in caring for Farah. In a world fraught with uncertainty, the importance of a safe and familiar environment for a child such as Farah cannot be overstated. Farah’s hindered mental development and complex array of symptoms are difficult to manage under normal circumstances. It has become multiplied under these gruelling circumstances and regressed her physically and mentally.

Our Story, as Asmahan tells it:

Our family is composed of 14 people (listed above). From the beginning of the genocide, our house became a main place of refuge for many of our relatives. A total of twelve families escaped the merciless bombing to our family building.

When the IOF started throwing leaflets to evacuate Northern Gaza to the southern parts of the strip, we were terrified. It took us a long time to come to a consensus on whether to evacuate with everyone who was going south or remain in the refuge of our home. When the bombing got closer and the news of the ground invasion became near, some of the families that were staying at our place started moving south towards Rafah.

Our decision to evacuate south was made for us when a bomb dropped directly at the house next door. We left the house in a flash in fear of losing all our lives. We had no time to take any belongings. We didn’t even have time to inform my daughter, Sabah, and her family of our decision to evacuate.

The journey was physically and mentally exhausting. It was the most horrible experience of our lives. Even the days of Nakba (Catastrophe) of 1948, the days when our grandparents lost their homes and land, were not as bad as this. When we reached the ‘safe’ passageway we had to wait for four to five hours as people moved single file between tanks in shame and harassment to cross into the Middle Camps south of Gaza. By the grace of God, we reached the south of Gaza all in one piece, but the journey didn’t stop there, we had to look for a place to stay for the rest of the day.

It was at this moment when all our relatives who accompanied us split apart to find a place to stay. We decided to go to our relative's place in Al-Zawayda. We stayed there for two months, then it was that region’s turn to experience the terror of the IOF in the ground invasion. The terror never left us, yet somehow, we felt it worse as the news of many places near us got mercilessly bombed. This time, in our trauma, it did not take us long to decide on evacuating further south to Rafah. To be forcibly displaced for the second time, and each time barely escaping with our lives has left us in a state that cannot be described with words. After reaching Rafah, we looked for a place. We tried taking refuge in the UN schools initially, but we couldn’t find any place, all the classes were overflowing from the refugees who were forcefully displaced before us. Then we sought some relatives of ours who were renting a place for an exorbitant price due to the lack of shelter and stayed with them for a couple of days until we found a place. We reunited with my daughter Sabah at my sister's temporary rental. We found a small store-like shelter to stay in for 1,000 USD per month. We scrounged up the cash for that month for we thought that such a conflict couldn’t stay on for longer than a month from the time we arrived without other countries acting and stopping the IOF. However, we were tragically mistaken, no one stopped the genocidal spree of the IOF until now. The month ended and we couldn’t afford to rent another, so, we had to go back to the danger we escaped from in Al-Zawayda. We live in constant terror of any day, the IOF re-invading the areas they withdrew from, and cutting us from our family in Rafah.

How can you help us:

We don’t think this genocide is going to end soon, and even if it ends, our family house, the one built by my departed Husband (God rest his soul) years ago has been destroyed. Our lives are in grave danger and only God knows what is waiting for us in the future. So, we are asking for your assistance in escaping from Gaza.

To get out of Gaza we must pay a hefty border fee to the travel agency of Ya Hala, they charge 5000$ per adult and 2500$ per child. We are nine adults and five children under the age of 16. We also need money for our stay in Egypt as approximated below:

Evacuation Border Fee: 57,500 USD (9 Adults x 5,000 USD and 5 Children x 2,500 USD)

Living cost in Egypt (estimate for 14 people): 15,000 USD

Money Wiring Fees: ~2,750 USD

GoFundMe fees: ~3,750 USD

We are only asking to save our lives and get out of war. So please help us with what you can, we all deserve to live and rebuild our lives somewhere safe.

Urge for Support:

Time is of the essence; with each passing day, Asmahan and her entire family are at risk; especially Farah. She faces not only the danger that is eminent on all of them but also the multiplied risk of her mental and physical regression becoming irreversible. This stark reality has multiplied their burden, especially, her mother, Sabah. Each day for Sabah is another day she spends helpless and heartbroken.

Yet, amidst the despair, there remains a glimmer of hope - the support of a community willing to extend a helping hand to Asmahan and her family in their time of need. So, please we ask you to become that community and rally behind Farah and her family. We kindly ask you to donate what you can and share this fundraiser with your network. Please don’t let their struggle continue in silence.

Gratitude Statement:

We thank you for helping us in our time of need. We especially appreciate the kindness and mercy you have shown for our little angel, Farah. We pray you never face the horrors we faced. We thank everyone who helped us spread our story, donated their money for our sake, and joined in our plight with their hearts and minds from the bottom of our hearts.