My name is Laila, and I am trying to help my childhood friend in Gaza.

She is living in a tent with her family, trying to survive day by day.

Recently, their tent was flooded, and they lost what little they had left.

She now has a newborn baby — only 2 months old — a baby who should be warm, safe, and sleeping in peace, not in a wet tent with fear and hunger.

I feel completely helpless watching my friend suffer from far away. I cannot protect her, I cannot hold her baby, and I cannot give them a safe place to sleep. The only thing I can do is ask for help.

Please help us send them money so they can find a safer place, buy basic needs, and give this baby a chance at life.

If you cannot donate, please share their story. Even sharing can save them.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

"My name is Salsabil. I am from Palestine, living in northern Gaza.

Our suffering began more than two years ago, just a week after October 7, 2023, and it has never stopped. We have lived through genocide, hunger, fear, and loss in ways no words can fully describe.

My first child was only one year old when the war began. He grew up with the sounds of bombs, explosions, and gunfire. I used to tell him they were fireworks, just so he could sleep without fear. Today he is three years old — a child who has known war more than peace.

Our home was completely destroyed. We lost everything — clothes, memories, and the basic meaning of safety. We were forced to flee under bombardment **25 times**, each time narrowly escaping death.

During our displacement, my family was injured, and we lost a beloved family member when a UN shelter we were staying in was bombed. We believed it was safe. It wasn’t. My child survived by a miracle, and once again we ran for our lives, leaving everything behind.

During the famine, my husband was injured while trying to find food, under gunfire and drone attacks targeting civilians. I was forced to stop my studies, and my small startup — which had already been burned early in the war — was completely destroyed by direct bombing just weeks ago.

Life that was once full of dreams and hope has turned gray. We love life, and if we were able to help others, we would. Writing this is incredibly painful, pulling memories from a living nightmare.

Asking for help was never easy, but we have no other choice. We lost every means of a dignified life. I humbly ask for your support in this urgent and dangerous time. If you cannot donate, please share our story so our voices can be heard."

Thank you from my heart for reading, and may you and your loved ones stay safe.