An amputated leg, a destroyed house, & lost jobs.

Dear friends,

Writing this has been one of the most challenging tasks I have ever undertaken in my life. Finding the right words to convey the unimaginable experiences my family and I have gone through is a daunting endeavor.

My name is Tasneem Ayyad. I lived the last three months with my family in unbearable circumstances. We are like every other family around the world—Me, my mother, my father and my 3 brothers, Omer, Mohammed and Kamel. My only sister who is a doctor at Al-Shifa hospital has got married two months just before the war. We lost our family home due to bombings and were forced to evacuate multiple times, moving from the north to the south of Gaza.

Leaving our lovely house, fully aware that we might never see it again, is an indescribably heart-wrenching experience that became our reality. We sought refuge in the south - in nearly ever city and camp - but even there, we faced evacuation warnings multiple times, putting our lives at risk.

On 16-10-2023 

There was no drop of water in the house nor in the district where we evacuated. So my brother, Omer, went to the desalination plant but unfortunately the street had been heavily bombarded. At this moment Omer's right leg had been amputated. Now, he needs to travel abroad to get the right treatment. 

My brother, Omer, before and after 16th of October. 

Regarding our jobs, Omer is a civil engineer and a graphic designer who is dedicated to rebuild our beautiful city. For me, I had completed my English language studies in 2021 and worked in many field including administration assistance, English teaching, and social work. My younger brother, Mohammed, began his second year at Islamic university which was completely destroyed. Finally, Kamel is still at 12th grade and he is dedicated to be a successful doctor. As shown, we have big dreams for our future and we are willing to achieve them with your help.

One of my groups at Al-Salam Center just two months before the war

Now, Omer & I have lost our jobs, Mohammed & kamel have lost their chance to continue their education. We've lost many friends, yet, we still possess a resilient strength and a great hope for the future, as if all the destruction around us can be magically transformed into a safe space where we can think about tomorrow.

Update: April 2025

I left my family struggling with insane genocide in Gaza and reached Egypt on Friday, 07/02/2025, as a companion to my injured brother, Omar, through the coordination between the WHO and the Egyptian and Palestinian authorities. Omar, 27 years old, has an amputated leg, and he still needs some operations before receiving the physical help and putting on the artificial leg. For me, 25 years old, I have lost my hearing sense completely due to the massive sounds of explosions, and then after taking medicines, I ended up having a profound hearing loss in my right ear and a partial hearing loss in my left ear. So, I need a hearing aid and maybe a surgery if there is hope for my right ear.

We are settling in an apartment along with other people waiting for the NGOs like HEAL PALESTINE that coordinates only to injured people under 18 years old to adopt our case so that Omar can start his treatment journey.

I assure you that you already know that we have lost everything but not hope, dignity, or belief that we are one bond and our problems will be solved.

P. S. Omar is interested to pursue his work as a graphic designer if he has the chance to buy a laptop from your donations. You can have a look on his previous graphics here.

Mohammad is pursuing his undergraduate engineering study online in spite of internet and displacement challenges. Also, Maram has given birth to baby " Awad " whose Arabic name means the gift from Allah after hardships and he will become one year in May.

I am also interested in pursuing my Master degree as I've been offered offers from both Liverpool and Sussex Universities. So, I am on my way to receive a scholarship for 2025*2026 cohort so please wish me luck! 

Regards,