Rebuild Hope: Aid for War-Torn Medical Student from Gaza

Hello, I'm Mohammed Shalan from Ireland. Due to the restrictions on GoFundMe in Gaza, I'm starting a fundraising campaign for Lina Abu Heen. All donations will go directly to support her. Now, here's what Lina has to say:

On October 7th, I woke up to the sound of my mother's panicked voice urging us to pack our belongings quickly. Within a few tense hours, filled with fearful heartbeats, we had become displaced, scattered without shelter. As I write this now with tears in my eyes, I didn't get to bid farewell to our spacious, grand home. I didn't capture one last video of our beautiful garden. Little did I know as I packed my bags that those moments were the last in our home. I didn't know that the dreams I painted on the warm, beautiful walls of our cozy living room would never be seen again. I didn't know before then that I wouldn't even be able to access our home now because it's in a dangerous area devastated by the occupation in the neighborhood of Shuja'iya/Gaza.

My university studies halted on October 7th with the beginning of the Israeli aggression on Gaza. My university was destroyed, and from the first day of the war, we sought refuge at the European Gaza Hospital where I volunteered to help patients as much as I could. Our beautiful large home was destroyed, and all the memories and aspirations within it vanished. My father's job stopped, and we can now only afford the basic necessities in our lives.

Now, I'm living some of my worst days. I don't know when or where I'll be able to continue my medical studies. Will any universities outside Gaza accept me so I can pursue my dream of becoming a doctor? And what are the costs involved in traveling and the financial expenses of studying abroad?

My family consists of 12 members, and my sister gave birth to a new baby two months ago, while my other sister is expecting her first child within two weeks. We are currently living as displaced persons in the European Gaza Hospital in an area no larger than 20 square meters.

Every day, our fears increase, and we do not know where we will go now.

I'm talking to you now as I pack my things because we will be displaced again from the European Hospital, which has been our shelter for seven months, due to the invasion of Rafah. We are scattered without shelter, searching for a tent to cover us, enduring hardship, displacement, and searching for safety and stability.

As the days pass, my pain and suffering increase. I've lost a significant source of support when we had to leave Gaza without my father. We initially thought it would be temporary, but it's become permanent due to the barriers, obstacles, and difficulties imposed by the occupation. We find ourselves in a place, and my dad in another dangerous place where survival is uncertain each time, and we only hear about its fate months later.

Is it our destiny to live our youth in wars? Is it fair to waste years of my life while I'm stuck in Gaza, waiting for the unknown, unsure when I'll achieve my dream of completing my medical studies? Despite the financial hardships, the dire conditions, and the uncertain future as a medical student, I still hold onto my smile because I have hope in my heart. Help will come, and goodness is on its way. I have hope that I will finish my studies and fulfill my dream of becoming a doctor.

I am Lina Abu Heen, a medical student from Gaza, 23 years old. I stand here now, filled with passion and faith, asking you with an open heart to join our efforts in fundraising, seeking assistance to achieve my dream of completing medical school and rebuilding our home. Please, join our fundraising efforts, as I need your support to achieve this important goal.