Help displaced Palestinian family

Hi, I’m Alan Burns—originally from Ireland, now living in Canada. On May 4th, I’ll be running the BMO Vancouver Marathon to help support a displaced Palestinian family I’ve had the privilege of getting to know over the past year.

How the funds will be used:

Meet Taghreed, Saher and their two young daughters Mirna (4) and Maria (1). After surviving multiple bombings, the destruction of their home and their families’ homes, displacement, medical problems, thirst and starvation, the family used all their resources (and borrowed additional funds) to reach Rafah and get mom and kids to safety across the Egyptian border.

The family did not have enough money for Saher to get out at the same time, and the Rafah border was closed 2 weeks after Taghreed’s passage with her children. The family is now waiting for another opening, and is determined to raise the funds to get Saher out at the next possible opportunity. To date, openings of the Rafah border have been sporadic and brief.

Saher remains besieged in Gaza, where there is no work or money. He is living in a tent camp with very little access to the basic necessities of life including food, water, and medicine. Survival is a daily struggle, but he is trying his best to stay alive so he can get back to his family. Taghreed is doing her best to raise two young girls in Cairo on her own with no income, hoping to reunite them with their father.

Taghreed was in her 8th month of pregnancy with her second daughter when the conflict escalated on Oct 7, 2023. After a difficult pregnancy, she gave birth later that month by cesarean section in a damaged hospital without access to adequate medication and only light anesthesia. During a return visit for post-natal care, there was shelling around the hospital and they had to flee.

The family survived the first bombing of their home and surrounding area on Dec 26, 2023, and fled under fire from snipers, aircraft and gas bombs. At first they were able to return home, but were repeatedly displaced by attacks and their home was severely damaged. The family fled to Rafah and Taghreed and her children crossed into Egypt in June 2024.

Before the war, Saher and Taghreed were successful in their professional lives, they were building a beautiful home, and they had family, friends, and community. With one toddler and another child on the way, they were looking forward to a bright future. So much has been taken from them, but their family has survived to date, and they remain determined and resilient. Saher and Taghreed dream of a future of joy and safety for themselves and their children.

With your support, this family can get Saher out of Gaza and begin to rebuild their life. Please donate what you can and share with your community. Thank you for your time and generosity.