<div><strong>Help Me Get My Friend's Family out of Gaza</strong>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>My name is Steve Tamari and I am a Palestinian-American Professor of History at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Throughout my career, my family and I have hosted Fulbright and other international scholars from the Middle East and facilitated their transition to life in the Midwest.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>This year we were fortunate to get to know Dr. Intimaa AbuHelou, a dentist and a Fulbright scholar from Gaza working on a graduate degree in Public Health at St. Louis University. <a href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/government-politics/slu-student-texts-with-family-in-gaza-each-message-feels-like-the-last/article_18ab7c12-7435-11ee-b5c9-53c281b4b1de.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Here is an article about her from the St Louis Post-Dispatch</a>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>We are raising $100,700 to help Dr. AbuHelou get her remaining family members out of Gaza. It costs $6,500.00 per adult and $1,800.00 per child to cross Rafah into Egypt. Twenty-two family members (thirteen adults and nine children) fear for their lives each passing day.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Intimaa AbuHelou’s Story in Her Own Words</strong>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>We are a Palestinian family, deeply rooted in Gaza since our displacement in 1948. Our lives have been intertwined with the services of UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees), which provided our education and health care. My parents, dedicated UNRWA teachers for four decades, built our family home from scratch in Gaza. This home, a symbol of resilience, withstood partial destruction in 2009 and 2014 but was completely bombed at the start of the recent war. It was not just a structure; it was where our most cherished and painful memories resided. However, since the war's onset, it has become a symbol of relentless fear and loss.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Our family, once tightly knit under one roof, has been torn apart by relentless bombings and displacements. In the latest tragedy, we lost our beloved grandmother, and two of my brothers along with their wives and children, leaving an indelible scar on our hearts. My father, amidst his own grief, had to perform the heart-wrenching task of burying them. Our reality in Gaza is a constant reminder that life hangs by a thread, with no place truly safe.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Let me introduce you to my family, each member a testament to the dreams and aspirations we hold, yet stifled by the circumstances we are in:
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>My Parents (64 years): Esteemed retired teachers who have educated generations and emphasized the value of education in our lives.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Mohammed (35 years), his wife Fatima (33), and their children: Siba (6 years), Salama (1.5 years), Adam (1 month).
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Mohammed, a business graduate, and Fatima, a mathematics degree holder, recently welcomed their newborn amidst the chaos. Fatima underwent a cesarean section without anesthesia. The baby was born in the street, never received any vaccinations, and wasn't legally named or issued a birth certificate. Their daughter Siba innocently wondered if our house could be carried with us as we fled, not understanding why we had to leave our safe haven.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Mahmoud (29 years), his wife Alaa (34), and their children: Ahmed (9 years), Elia (7 years), Sila (5 years), Jawad (7 months). Mahmoud, a health administration graduate, and Alaa, a master's in Arabic, are parents to Ahmed, who aspires to be a doctor after witnessing the suffering around him. Elia and Sila play a poignant game with cola cans, burying them in the sand. If they uncover an intact can, they say it represents a martyr. A damaged can signifies a martyr in pieces. The size of the can also plays a role in their game: a small can symbolizes a child, while a large one represents an adult. This stark contrast underscores the vastly different realities children face in other parts of the world, where their games are filled with innocence and joy, untouched by the shadows of war.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Doaa (34 years), her husband Hatem (35), and their children: Bader (7 years) and Fadwa (4 years). Displaced from their own bombed home, they joined us. Bader is haunted by leaving his puppy behind, while Fadwa faces nightly fears about death and survival.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Maryam (33 years): A dedicated ER pediatric doctor at Al-Aqsa Hospital, who has witnessed unspeakable horrors and carries the trauma of treating young, innocent victims of this conflict. She shared that the haunting images of injured children she treated will forever remain etched in her memory. One of the most harrowing experiences was having to amputate the limbs of children without anesthesia. The echoes of their screams haunt her every night, a relentless trauma from which she believes she will never fully recover.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Moatz and Montsar (26 years): Moatz, a pharmacist, has been on the frontlines providing medical aid, while Montsar, a lawyer, grapples with the blatant disregard for international law he once studied.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Mohaned (21 years): A senior in animal engineering, who cares deeply for all living beings caught in this conflict.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Hend (19 years): A medical student whose dreams and aspirations have been shattered along with her university.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>This is my family, each with their dreams and aspirations, now overshadowed by the ever-present threat of losing one another. We are more than statistics; we are human beings deserving of a safe home, access to necessities, and a life free from the shadow of war.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Your help can make a significant difference in our lives, offering us a chance at safety and a future. Please help us evacuate Gaza and find refuge away from the relentless danger we face every day.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/77462391_1704416035697177_r.jpeg" width="100%" />
<div>A cherished memory of my dad, brother, and our beloved grandmother, whose beautiful soul was tragically taken from us.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/77462391_1704420107414812_r.jpeg" width="100%" />
<div>A proud day was captured as my parents registered my sister, Hend, at Al-Azhar University's medical school, where she began her journey to fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor. This cherished memory is now tinged with sorrow, as the university was destroyed, taking with it the dreams and aspirations of many young minds.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/77462391_1704420333893002_r.jpeg" width="100%" />
<div>Baby Adam who was born during the war
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/77462391_1704420398716462_r.jpeg" width="100%" />
<div>Bader with his cherished puppy that he had to leave behind.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/77462391_1704420464598006_r.jpeg" width="100%" />
<div>Eid Moments: Ahmed, Fadwa, Bader, and my father shared a rare moment of joy and togetherness during Eid, visiting our relatives.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/77462391_1704420567519123_r.jpeg" width="100%" />
<div>Grandchildren, full of excitement for the new school year in September, before the onset of the war.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/77462391_1704420627984610_r.jpeg" width="100%" />
<div>My brother, Mahmoud, with his daughters, Elia and Sila.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/77462391_1704420893834016_r.jpeg" width="100%" />
<div>My brothers Mahmoud and Moatz.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/77462391_1704420997696730_r.jpeg" width="100%" />
<div>My brother Mohaned.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/77462391_170442102737436_r.jpeg" width="100%" />
<div>My sister's beautiful family
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/77462391_1704421072831185_r.jpeg" width="100%" />
<div>Our house before the war.
</div>

Anonymous

Charles Smith

Keelie Bays

Anastazia Bednarczuk

Rachel Levitsky

Evangelina Ruiz

Lea Koesterer

Kathryn Aqua

Help Me Get My Friend's Family out of Gaza

platform

Platform is iOS

Android

Adyen Google Pay Development Audience

$opt_dummy_attribute

English only

Deprecate Stripe Legacy

dyn_template_ids

Adyen V6 Bene Transfer & MyMoney Campaign Organizers - test01

Bene transfer V6 and AdyenV6MyMoney Campaign Organizers - production

OneTrust next-app audience

fundCountryCode

NextDoor Share Option Users

Fundraisers with Reactions feature capability

fundCurrencyCode

US + Non-charity COs Only

locale

fund country is US and user language is English

personId

comms-internal-person-ids

Enhanced Story Experience Users

Suggested Goal Experience Users

user language is English and fund country: US, AU, DK, FI, IE, NO, SE, CA, GB; 

Poster share - new funds eligible (newest 9/18)

Streaming widgets beta user

paymentProcessor

3DS payment method

user language is English and fundCountry: US, AU, DK, FI, IE, NO, SE, CA, GB; 

GoFundMe Employees

ipAddress

Mark Rieth IP Address

Version 9.2.0 and above

Fund is in English speaking country

desktop

Android v12.11.0 and above

Platform is Android

paymentMethodType

checkoutType

Payment method type group to be vaulted on success

admin pr kit prod

EUR Donation Upsell

Share Text generation Skip Fundraiser

(prod) new funds eligible for amp12 (UGC gallery)

fintrac_cad_idv_form_v2 audience

paymentProcessorAccountId

fallback mode accounts

proCampaignId

p2p legacy startfundraising page

AMP24 New Funds Only PROD (DO NOT MODIFY)

countryCode

charityId

UKCharities

Federated Search Internal Testing

route.pathname community

US Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks Feature Audience

Supporter Comments Eligible Funds

International Only

fundId

braze fundraiser group 

Payment Identity Transfers ATO Risk Check (Targeted) - Production

Fundraiser Saved Payment Method Rate Limit Bypass (Production)

leaderboard-partner-id-audience-givepanel

Version 9.2.1 and above

AUD Donation Upsell audience

fundraiserCountryCode is US/EN

Active Fundraiser - Smart Default Cadence

DAF Internal

Vault on success card payment method

Platform is iOS v11.0.0 and above

Desktop users

Person ids

United States (US) users

allow yuno fundraisers for test

Mexico country code

Posters INTL

NPO Profile Opted-In

iOS at or above 12.4.0

non-US recurring donors

Canada Campaign Owner Group

Fundraiser Without Meta Link

Scheduler payment tester gorup

charityCommunityId

Charities allow to be claimed unclaimed (PRD)

Canada (CA) users

currencyCode

UC Tipping v20250115 International

pymk_production_xplr_fe_team

Android at or above 12.2.0

Profile photo entry point audience

smart goals (fundraiser/manage) on test01

Activity Tracking v1 Beta Testing

writePath

Stream Notification

start gfm intl allowed locales

Platform is iOS v11.2.0 and above

unclaimed charities

prod_ach_audience

AI Chatbot Audience

amp13 only new funds (prod) (anyword auto)

UC Flow Enabled (Prod)

Payment Identity Beneficiary Verification - Production

shared notification bell audience

Custom users

ach frontend audience

Android v11.0.0 and above

Users Receiving Payments Paused Notifications

smart goals test01

Manage Coach - US English Organizers Only + new funds only

Team EGG - IP Address list

Fundraiser Without Instagram Deep Link

Native 11.4.0 and above

UC Tipping v20250107

Users Receiving Braze KYC Validation Failed

Native 11.3.0 and above

Influencer - Prod

US fundraisers and US users

ai_title_page

anyword

openai

control

manual_entry

userEmail

template_id

userId

fundUrl

isCharityCo

email

appVersion

shouldBucketIntoExperiment

partnerId

donationCadence

isActiveFundraiser

isPartner

isMobile

npoProfileOptIn

fundIsLinkedWithMeta

hasSessionDonation

isCampaignOwner

fundHasInstagramDeepLink

Native 11.4.0 and higher

New funds eligible - Video Sharing (PROD)

GB Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks V3 Rollout Audience

Thank you V3 testing whitelist

isRecurringFriendly

Is Recurring Friendly

Excluded funds - Video Sharing

Logged In Users

CH Donation Upsell audience

Android v10.6.0 and above

userCurrencyCode

Localized Currency

v11.5.0 and above

testAudience

pathname

Survicate

appVersion is at or above 12.8.0

Non-charity fund

isChallengeFundraiser

challenge-fundraisers

Payment Identity Launch Verification - Production

New funds eligible - Posters v2

CAD Donation Upsell Audience

Braze Email Tester

NPO Profile Opted-Out

iOS App Version

hasKnownDonors

PYMK has donors

iOS v12.3.0 and above

Help Me Get My Friend's Family out of Gaza

Still $84,702 to go. Help us build momentum.