My name is Laura MacCarald. I am a midwife in Trumansburg, NY. I created this fundraiser to help support my friends Rasmy Hussein and Maram Abu Reida and their four sons Hussein, Adam, Mohammed, and Ahmed, ages 1-9. Rasmy, Maram and their family are among the many people who are impacted by the violence and deprivation in Gaza.

Rasmy writes of their lives before the war: "Where we lived before, in the district of Khuza in Khan Younis we had a small house (now destroyed) with two comfortable rooms plus a kitchen and a bathroom. We had all the necessities of life and our children slept in beds with blankets and had good clothes to wear during the day. Life was not perfect but there was enough food and clean water. Maram worked as a nurse, the older children went to school. Now there is no school. There is no clean water. The water is either full of chemicals or dangerous organisms like typhus and e coli. Now food is very hard to find. One of my children is malnourished because of it."

Since the war began, their home was destroyed and they have been displaced multiple times. They are currently living in a makeshift tent in a refugee camp in Khan Younis. They have struggled with illness, malnutrition, and lack of adequate shelter. They have spent many nights in terror as bombs and gunfire echo around them. I have witnessed this directly as we have been able to be in communication via video chat during some of these times. I have heard the bombs and gunfire across the world as this family huddles together, praying that they may be spared.

Throughout all of this I have been so moved and impressed by Rasmy's dedication and devotion to his family. He would do anything for them, and I have seen how the feeling of helplessness in the face of these extreme circumstances wears at him, and yet he never gives up. Your contribution will be transferred directly to Rasmy via PayPal. All funds will go towards the survival needs of this family, including food, medicine, improvements to their tent, etc. Ultimately my hope is to also help them rebuild their lives, whether in Gaza if that should become possible, or by helping them emigrate to Egypt, if that becomes a possibility. But for now, we are just going to help them survive, as we would want someone to help us, if we were in their circumstances.

Thank you so much for your contribution! I am happy to answer any questions or provide any needed documentation. ❤️