Journalist and family need to escape Gaza safely

Thank you so much for coming to support this GoFundMe. My name is Dex Davis. I am a humble Texan who has had the pleasure of befriending an amazing Gazan journalist and hero Mohammed AlTanany. This is the plea of his heart as well as my own. Please take time to read his story.

My name is Mohammed AlTanany. I am 36 years old. My wife Senin and I have three beautiful children Adam (6), Rita (3), and Deyyar (2).

I have been working as a journalist, photographer, and video editor since 2007. During the heat of the 2008 conflict, while reporting, I was injured on the head by shrapnel from a bombing. I love telling the stories of my people and take my job very seriously. I am internationally recognized as a journalist. I have worked for channels all across the globe including:

However, during this conflict, I have watched as over 100 journalists and friends have lost their lives or the lives of their loved ones while showing the truth of our situation to the world.

My oldest son, Adam, has not been able to attend school in months. Most recently my youngest son, Deyyar, was hospitalized for several days due to the harsh conditions here. My wife Senin needs an urgent vaginal operation and medication due to blood cysts. Doctors no longer have the ability to treat her here. Gaza is in crisis. We have neither clean water nor sufficient food, and disease is rampant due to a lack of critical medical supplies.

These risks are something my family can no longer endure. As I am writing this, the phone lines and internet are down. My heart is sick with worry from not being able to check in on my wife and children. It is maddening that I must keep the ones I love away from me for their safety. I am unable to hug or hold them and comfort them.

I had a wonderful life and a beautiful home in Gaza City which is now little more than an empty shell. The photos below are from the beginning of the conflict. Our home was destroyed by bombing. I cannot reach it and take pictures of the rubble; it is because of the presence of tanks and Ahandtalal soldiers in the area where I live.

During this siege, we have been displaced six times, unable to find rest or safety anywhere. This is why I plead with you to help raise the funds needed for my family to leave Gaza and begin anew elsewhere. After months of pleas from Canadians with extended family members in the war zone, Immigration Canadian Minister Marc Miller announced the new temporary visa program for people in the Gaza Strip who have Canadian relatives. I want to take my family to Canada and start fresh.

The costs of leaving Gaza are great. Expenses of leaving Gaza are between 2,500.00 and 5,000.00 dollars per person regardless the age, to be allowed out of Gaza. This does not include processing fees of $2,000 per person, $2,000 for transportation, and a 2.9% commission fee. These are estimates based on many sources here on the ground and outside of Gaza.

• Application fee for 5 people

• Expenses of leaving Gaza $5,000.00 plus the processing fee of $2,000 per person, $2,000 for transportation, and a 2.9% commission fee.

• The stay in Cairo for 3-4 weeks waiting for the paperwork.

• Flight tickets for 5 people from Cairo to Canada.

The settlement expenses (for the first 2 months till they find jobs) means:

• Rent

• Furniture

• Health coverage

• Living cost

The total after all calculations and careful consideration that we will need is $60,000.00 dollars. This number may seem large but together we can achieve anything. Please consider donating to help save lives. This situation, the danger, and the hardship are beyond explanation. We count our life a blessing with every minute that passes as that is how quickly the situation can change. The stench in the air from death and chemicals is unimaginable just a moment here costs blood and lives.

Our sincerest gratitude for your time,

Mohammed and Dex