Heba's family cost of living in Cairo

Updated 7/28/2025

Hello friends & strangers, my name is Althea Seloover, located in Eugene, Oregon, USA. I am hosting this fundraiser on behalf of Heba Shaaban, her husband Nafez & their three small children to 1) cover their costs of living, 2) receive necessary medical care in Egypt, 3) purchase a car for transportation & income opportunities, & 4) secure permanent housing.

Heba, her husband Nafez Haboub, & their children left Gaza at the end of September, 2023 to receive medical care that was unavailable at home. Shortly after leaving for this care, their home and their business were bombed & destroyed & they were separated from the rest of their families back in Gaza.

They had a thriving textile business, a beautiful life, & were invested in their thriving family. They are currently living in a rented apartment in Cairo, Egypt trying to keep their children safe, get urgent medical care & manage chronic pain, & rebuild their lives in the midst of incredible loss & grief.

Heba & Nafez have worked hard, with integrity, and passion in this lifetime. They have lost everything, endured incredible & traumatic loss, & suffer from ongoing trauma and post-traumatic stress. They need support in rebuilding resources, a secure future for their children, their physical and mental health, and a home.

They are incredibly worried about the future they are able to provide for their children. So far, as a community, we have been able to give Heba & her family some space to breathe, grieve, & work to recover. It is an incredibly long road that requires resources that are in short supply.

So far, we have contributed to the successful evacuation of Heba's parents from Gaza, helped to furnish their home with appliances, furniture & things that make life a little more livable. We have covered medical costs for Nafez to undergo surgery to repair his shoulder, physical therapy for both Heba & Nafez, the costs of pre & post-natal care through the birth of their youngest child & help cover the costs of monthly bills like rent & utilities, school fees, food, diapers & other household costs.

Nafez is currently disabled and unable to work due to his physical limits, as well as his pain level. He is working every day to exercise his arm & hand, & undergoing regular physical therapy treatments.

This family has lost all they have worked for in their lives & are left injured, without income, traumatized, and deep in grief after the martyrdom of many family members, as well as more than a dozen living family members trapped & starving in Gaza.

Please help us secure this family's future. In addition to costs of living & medical care, Nafez hopes to purchase a car, estimated to cost about $10,000 so he can earn money driving for ride share companies & delivery services. It will also cut down on the costs of transportation to appointments, open up their access to resources, & spend more time with extended family.

This is Heba & her husband Nafez before their world collapsed:

This is Nihad & Jad, their two little boys:

This is Althaea, their little daughter:

Prior to the destruction of their home & business, Nafez ran a successful textile business. It was destroyed along with their beautiful home.

The textile shop machinery, destroyed:

Their home, destroyed after the first bombing:

At this point, their home has been bombed many times & nothing stands. Their home & all their belongings is a pile of rubble.

Heba, Nafez & their children Nihad, Jad & Althaea deserve a future. They have been through so much. They have lost loved ones, friends, their home, their business, and the life they knew in Gaza. All that remains of their prior life is a house key. And they're showing so much resilience, working hard to hold hope for the future:

Please help us bring mercy to this family. Please help us secure their futures.

The trauma is vast. Together, we can show mercy to this family. Please join us.

I came to know Heba through my friend Rosie who has been helping Heba & her extended family during this devastating time. I am in direct, near-daily contact with Heba.

Funds have successfully been transferred via Ria, Western Union, & other money transfer services, going directly to Heba & Nafez. Thank you for your trust & faith in this process! Please send a message with any questions or if you are able to offer broader in this process. -- Althea