My name is Mahmoud, and I’m writing to you from northern Gaza with a heavy heart but unwavering hope.

## A Dream Interrupted

Just months ago, I was a dental student with a clear vision for my future. I spent my days studying anatomy, practicing procedures, and dreaming of the clinic I would one day open to serve my community. I could see myself helping children overcome their fear of the dentist, restoring smiles to elderly patients, and providing essential healthcare to families who needed it most.

Those dreams feel like they belonged to someone else now.

## When Everything Changed

The war came suddenly and took everything. The university where I studied lies in ruins. My textbooks, my equipment, my notes from years of hard work – all buried under rubble. The future I had carefully planned vanished overnight.

But the destruction of buildings and books wasn’t the hardest part.

## A Father’s Struggle

My father, who worked tirelessly his entire life to support our family’s education, is chronically ill. The medication he needs is scarce. The medical care that could ease his suffering is nearly impossible to access. Every day, I watch this strong man who raised me grow weaker, and I feel helpless.

He used to tell me proudly that his son would be a doctor, that I would help people and make our family proud. Now, instead of studying to heal others, I spend my days searching for basic necessities – clean water, food, medicine for my father.

## The Weight of Survival

We lack everything that most people take for granted. Clean water is precious. Electricity comes and goes. Food is scarce and expensive. Medicine is nearly impossible to find. Safety is never guaranteed.

Some days, the hardest part isn’t the physical discomfort – it’s the feeling that my dreams are slipping away forever. I’m not just fighting to survive; I’m fighting to hold onto hope that I can still become the dentist I always wanted to be.

## Why I’m Reaching Out

I’m not asking for pity. I’m asking for a chance.

A chance to care for my father properly, to get him the medical attention he desperately needs.

A chance to survive this nightmare with my family intact.

A chance to eventually rebuild and return to my studies, so that one day I can fulfill the promise I made to serve my community as a healthcare provider.

## Your Impact

Every donation, no matter the size, is a lifeline:

- **$25** can provide essential medication for my father for several days

- **$50** can secure clean water and basic food supplies for our family for a week

- **$100** can help us access temporary shelter and safety

- **$200** can contribute toward future educational expenses when I’m able to resume my studies

But beyond the numbers, your support sends a message that dreams matter, that education matters, that human dignity matters – even in the darkest of times.

## A Promise

I promise that every dollar you contribute will be used wisely and with deep gratitude. I promise to remember your kindness when I finally do open that dental clinic. And I promise that your compassion today will multiply as I spend my career serving others who need healing.

You’re not just helping a family survive – you’re investing in a future doctor who will dedicate his life to helping others.

Thank you for reading my story. Thank you for caring about someone you’ve never met in a place that might feel far away. Your kindness reminds me that even in war, humanity endures.

With deep gratitude and hope,

Mahmoud