HI

MY NAME IS PATRICIA O'KEEFE AND I LIVE NEAR WINDSOR, BERKS, UK.

I AM FUNDRAISING FOR THE DALIA AND HER FAMILY WHO HAVE BEEN DISPLACED MANY TIMES

AT PRESENT THEY ARE IN DEIR AL BALAH, GAZA

I HAVE BEEN FUNDRAISING FOR FAMILIES IN GAZA WITH GOFUNDME SINCE JUNE 2024

AS A HUMANITARIAN, A MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER I HAVE FOUND IT VERY DIFFICULT TO SIT BACK AND WATCH THE SUFFERING OF SO MANY DESPARATE PEOPLE

THE FUNDS WILL BE USED TO HELP WITH THEIR HOUSING, WARM WINTER CLOTHES BLANKETS, FOOD BABY FORMULA, DIAPERS MEDICINE AND THE ESSENTIALS THAT THEY ARE BEING DEPRIVED OF SINCE THE START OF THE HOSTILITIES

DALIA IS 23 YEARS OLD

SHE WAS BORN IN 2002

SHE RESIDES AT PRESENT IN DEIR AL BALAH

SHE IS A FAMILY FRIEND WHO I MET THROUGH MY FRIENDSHIP WITH HER FAMILY THROUGH MY FRIEND WHO LIVED IN PALESTINE ALTHOUGH SHE IS NOW IN UK.

THEY ARE IN DESPERATE NEED OF DONATIONS TO HELP WITH HOUSING COSTS, WINTER CLOTHES, FOOD, INCLUDING BABY FORMULA. DIAPERS BLANKETS AND TARPAULIN FOR PROTECTION

I SHALL TRANSFER THE FUNDS FROM MY NATIONWIDE BUILDING SOCIETY ACCOUNT IN UK, VIA AN INTERNATIONAL TRANSFER, AS I STILL DO TO OTHERS THAT I HELP

THE TRANSFER WILL BE TO A MOBILE BANKING APP THROUGH THE BANKOF PALESTINE PLC

I HAVE ASKED DALIA TO ADD HER STORY TO THIS. A SAD STORY LIKE SO MANY OTHER FAMILIES

Hello everyone. My name is Dalia. I'm 23 years old. I'm now a mother to Hala and Karim. Two years ago, I was studying English at university, with the goal of becoming a teacher. It was my third year, but I couldn't finish because of the war, which completely changed my life. I had a beautiful house, and my husband worked in a dairy factory with a steady salary. My baby, Hala, was two months old and wore the most beautiful and expensive clothes. But then I woke up to a catastrophe. My house was destroyed, and we lost everything. Now, my baby Hala and I live in a tent. How can I take care of a baby, knead bread if there is any, do my own laundry, and wait for a shower and water while my C-section was still painful? I moved back into my family's house when they were allowed to return, but it wasn't easy. My husband worked as a street vendor for a long time, hoping to earn some money. After that, we had to leave my family's house and move into a tent, and the situation was very bad. I was pregnant with Karim and only had a few months left. I was terrified. I couldn't sleep. There was no food, no shelter, and I couldn't care for two children in a tent. I lived in a tent for two winters when Hala was four months old, and again for a year and a half, I think. She suffered from many illnesses, and I almost lost her. Karim was born after a very difficult delivery at the Palestinian Red Crescent Hospital—a very difficult C-section under spinal anesthesia. I wished I were dead because of the excruciating pain. It was July, and the heat in the tents was unbearable. There was no water, no clean environment, and no beds. When Karim was two months old, I think, with the help of our friends, we were able to move to a separate room. I hope my friends will continue to help my babies so we can spend this winter in this room, as it is much warmer than the tent. So I can buy clothes and blankets for my children... because I had to take my baby to the hospital due to the cold and he needed antibiotics for several days. This is the first time I've said this, but Hala has a hemangioma in her abdomen. When we were in the tent, she was bitten by an insect. The hemangioma became severely inflamed, and Hala was hospitalized for a week receiving intravenous antibiotics. It pained me deeply to see my child suffering like this. I sincerely hope you can help my babies so this doesn't happen again. Baby Karim also has a hemangioma in his hand. The war may be over, but my suffering continues. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you have done, but my babies still need your support.

With love, Dalia