Mohamed Hamad and his family dream of reaching safety

My name is Asia Rehman and I have created this fundraiser on behalf of medical student Mohamed Bassem Ahmed Hamad and his family, who desperately need our help in raising donations to help him and his family evacuate over the Rafah border so that his mother can get urgent medical treatment.

This is Mohamed's story as provided to me by him:

"My name is Mohamed Bassem Ahmed Hamad and I am 22 years old and a medical laboratory student. My immediate family and I consist of 9 people (my parents, 2 brothers, 3 sisters and sister in law) and we used to live in the northern part of the Strip before the October 2023 war, in Beit Hanoun. I had dreams and ambitions to continue my medical studies and get a good job in the future and support my family but since October 2023 all my dreams were destroyed along with our family home, ambitions, our lives and our youth.

My mother is very sick with a heart condition; her heart functions at only 40% and since October we have been cut off from her medications and medical treatment and she’s getting increasingly unwell. She finds it difficult and painful to walk. We urgently need to evacuate her for medical treatment before she deteriorates.

In the first instance, we would like to raise money to evacuate our immediate family but there are 17 members of my family in total who require evacuation, including another 2 sisters and their children.

My sister's son, a young child, also requires treatment after sustaining injuries after an airstrike.

(This is my nephew who was injured)

We have been displaced to Deir El Balah and currently live in extremely difficult conditions, in a tent without basic life necessities that in the winter was freezing and flooded with water, and as the summer months approach will be exposed to extreme heat, insects, sand and dust.

(Our house in the north, now rubble)

(The tent we currently live in as a displaced family)

We are in danger from all directions and for that reason I want to evacuate with my mother and family as soon as possible. I want to be able to keep my family secure and safe, rebuild our lives, and get my mother the urgent medical attention she needs. I would also like to continue my medical studies. For that reason I ask for your kind support in making that possible, and allowing us to live a safe and secure life which the war has prevented us from having, and to rebuild a new life for ourselves.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

(Before the war, we are all happy)

(After the war, our situation is greatly changed)"