Support Dr. Alaa: Gaza Doctor Couple Lost 9 Kids, Son in ICU
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Our friend, Israa Al-Najjar, who is currently living here in Vancouver, Canada, is far from her family in Gaza. As her friends, we’ve come together to support her and her loved ones during this unimaginable time. We hope our community can come together to help her family survive and heal.
Our dear friend’s sister, Dr. Alaa Al-Najjar, is a devoted pediatrician who has spent her life caring for the children of Gaza. On May 24, while she was working a shift at the Nasser Medical Complex, treating victims of ongoing airstrikes, her own home was targeted by an Israeli airstrike. In an unimaginable tragedy, nine of her ten children were killed.
Her husband, Dr. Hamdi Al-Najjar also a physician, and their only surviving child, 11-year-old Adam, were both critically injured and are currently undergoing medical treatment.
The heartbreak is overwhelming, and the suffering doesn’t end there. Like so many families in Gaza, our friend's family and their extended family are struggling to survive. They are without basic necessities. Food is scarce. Clean water and medicine are harder to come by every day. They are not just grieving. They are starving and trying to stay alive in a war zone.
This GoFundMe has been created by friends of Dr. Alaa’s sister to support the family during this heartbreaking time.
Your donations will help:
- Support Dr. Alaa, her husband, and Adam as they begin the long journey of recovery - physically, emotionally, and financially.
- Help provide food, water, shelter, and medical care to the surviving family members and others around them who are suffering deeply.
- Support extended family members who are also affected and in desperate need of basic survival resources.
- Raise awareness of this tragedy and help amplify the call to end the violence and protect innocent lives.
This is not just one family’s tragedy. It’s a reflection of the countless lives being lost, broken, and displaced in Gaza every day. It's the story of too many families in Gaza - parents losing children, children losing everything.
Please help if you can. Whether by donating, sharing this page, or simply keeping this family in your heart - every act of compassion brings hope to families who feel forgotten.
Please help us stand with Dr. Alaa and her family through this heartbreaking time.
With love and deep gratitude,
This campaign is a heartfelt effort from friends here in Vancouver who care deeply.
**A Mother's Hope Through the Canadian Gaza Special Measures Program**
During the recent ceasefire, Dr. Alaa Alnajjar took the opportunity to apply for Canada's special immigration measures for Gaza. Since she successfully received codes for her children through the Gaza TR program - a lifeline offered by the Canadian government to help families escape the devastation and give their children a future filled with hope and safety.
Alaa applied with the dream of reuniting with her sister Israa in the peaceful mountains of Vancouver, Canada. She envisioned a new beginning for her children - a chance to heal, to grow, and to enjoy the simple joys of childhood in a safe environment. Like any mother, her deepest wish was to offer her kids the kind of life that children in Canada are blessed to experience every day.
In addition to Canada, Alaa also hoped to bring her children to Ireland to visit their uncle, Dr. Ali Al-Najjar, who works in the hematology department in Sligo. Her dreams extended beyond borders - she longed for her kids to one day be reunited with their extended family, including her Mother, two aunts, and two uncles, who are currently living in Cairo, Egypt.
Alaa’s vision was simple yet profound: to give her children the chance to grow up surrounded by love, stability, and family - something every child deserves.
Learn more about the special program here:
Canada’s special measures for Gaza
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/israel-west-bank-gaza-2023/gaza-tr-measures.html
More Information:
1. Who I Am:
My name is Sheryl Drake, and I’m based in Vancouver, Canada. I’m organizing this fundraiser on behalf of my dear friend, Israa Al-Najjar, whose family in Gaza was tragically and directly impacted by a recent Israeli airstrike.
2. Who the Funds Will Support:
This campaign is raising urgent support for Israa’s sister and her family:
- Dr. Alaa Al-Najjar - a pediatrician at Nasser Medical Complex in Gaza.
- Hamdi Al-Najjar – Dr. Alaa’s husband, also a physician.
- Adam Al-Najjar – their 11-year-old son and the only surviving child.
On May 24, while Dr. Alaa was on duty treating victims at the hospital, an airstrike hit their home. Nine of their children were killed: Yahya (12y 3m, M), Rakan (10y 0m, M), Eve (9y 0m, F), Jobran (8y, M), Raslan (6y 10m, M), Reval (5y 2m, F), Saden (3y 3m, M), Luqman (1y 11m, M), Saedra (7m, F)
This loss is unfathomable. In addition to their grief, the family is struggling to survive amid war conditions. Food, water, and medicine are scarce. Dr. Alaa’s surviving son and husband were critically injured and are currently receiving medical treatment.
3. How the Funds Will Be Used:
All donations will go directly to our friend Israa, who is in Canada and in direct contact with her sister Dr. Alaa. Funds will be securely transferred to her Canadian bank account, then distributed to the family in Gaza through trusted channels.
Your donations will help:
- Provide emergency relief to Dr. Alaa, Hamdi, and Adam as they begin the long journey of healing - physically, emotionally, and financially.
- Supply food, water, shelter, and medical care to surviving family members and others around them who are deeply affected.
- Support extended family members who are also displaced and in desperate need of basic necessities.
- Amplify the call to end the violence and protect innocent lives.
News Articles and references:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/24/israeli-airstrike-kills-nine-of-gaza-doctors-10-children-reports-say
https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2025/5/24/outrage-horror-after-israeli-attack-kills-nine-children-of-gaza-doctor
Co-organizers (2)
Sheryl Drake
Organizer
Vancouver, BC
Israa Alnajjar
Co-organizer