My name is Laura MacCarald and I am a midwife in Trumansburg, NY. Over the last year my life has been changed and my heart has been opened by the deep friendships I have made with people living through the extreme violence and deprivation in Gaza.

One of the people I have had the honor of getting to know is my dear friend Majd al Najjar. She is an incredible young woman, whose bright light continues to shine for her family and community despite the incredible difficulties they have endured. Majd was 19 when the war began. She had dreams of going to University and studying to be a teacher, but these dreams were shattered by violence. Now her dream is to help her family survive. She cares for her elderly parents and her younger sister. They have been displaced multiple times and are currently living in a tent by the seashore in Khan Younis, Ramallah State, Gaza, without running water or proper sanitation. They are always hungry as food is scarce and extremely expensive. They live in fear of violence and further displacement.

Through all this hardship Majd continues to exhibit incredible patience, strength, courage, and even joy. The suffering she has endured in her short life is more than most will experience in a lifetime. But her beautiful smile remains, as does her fierce determination to help her family in whatever way she can, whether by hauling water, cooking over an open fire, or seeking donations to help purchase food, firewood, medicine and other necessities.

Please consider supporting this extraordinary young woman and her family. Funds received will be sent via international wire transfer to Majd's sister in law's (Rawan Musabeh) bank account. I have been raising funds for Rawan and her husband Mohammed for a year and this has been consistently a reliable way to get money to them and to others in their family, including Majd. This fundraiser will allow Majd greater independence and her increase her ability to support her family, which is her greatest goal at this point in her life. I am honored to help support this young woman.