[Note: Since GoFundMe only operates in certain countries, this has been set up on behalf of the Shehada family. All funds will be transferred to them as soon as possible. I know Mohammed as my graduate student this past year and have been helping him try to get his family to safety since the war began. What he has written below barely captures what his family has endured. Let's get them safely out.]

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Help My Family Reach Safety From Gaza to Egypt

Hello, my name is Mohammed, and I am sadly reaching out to you today to help my family evacuate from Gaza to safety in Egypt. I have 16 family members in Gaza right now yearning for safety, including my mother, father, 2 brothers, 1 sister, 2 sisters-in-law, 1 brother-in-law, and 4 nephews (two 5-year olds; 7yo and 14 yo) and 4 nieces (ages: 1, 2, 9, and 13). We have lost over 23 members of the family, including my uncle and his entire family.

Everything is gone, even our family pets

Nothing hurts more than seeing everything the family built over the years destroyed. We've lost everything in the war. Our family house, with two loyal dogs who have been with the family for years and three beautiful cats have all died. When our family house in Khan Yunis was destroyed entirely, it broke everyone’s hearts, especially my father. It was everything he worked for and he just paid it off in full using all his life savings. Our grandparents house, where the family evacuated, was also destroyed. Under fire and tank shells, my family had to flee running for their lives.

Dedicated, hard-working family

My father and mother are both over 60 years old and retired from their jobs as English and Biology teachers. My father served as a school principal for 15 years. My brothers (36y and 28y) and sister (38y) are well-educated and led great professional lives before the war. Both my brothers are in the medical field (doctor and EMT), and my sister is an English teacher. My sisters-in-law used to work in interior design. The family worked so hard and built everything before we lost everything--all their belongings, savings, and homes have been destroyed.

Trapped in Rafah with nothing

My family has evacuated multiple times from Khan Yunis to Rafah. Now they are in Rafah, and the entire family is on the streets with no shelter. The women and children are in danger; my nephews and nieces are all malnourished and facing starvation. They are in desperate need of basic human needs (food and medicine) and evacuation from the Gaza Strip. The priority and intention of the fundraiser is for all 16 members of the family to be evacuated from war-torn Gaza to Egypt via the Rafah border.

I am the only family member outside Gaza able to help, and I am their only hope to help them evacuate Gaza. I am a grad student, and doing this all by myself and responsible for all the costs. The costs to leave are staggering. Saving my family of 16 members from Gaza to Egypt through the Rafah border requires USD $88,500. Note: Another family friend has started a fundraiser for my older brother and his family, so I am raising funds for the other 12 members of my family.

Here is a breakdown of how the funds will be spent:

How Funds Will Be Used

Every penny donated will be spent to ensure the family makes it to safety in Egypt. If we are unable to get them out, any funds raised will be used to help them rebuild in Gaza. I remain beyond grateful for your generous souls and the selfless hand of help you are extending. I will update you along the way with every step and will try my best to ask the family to take photos as they document their journey to safety.

Thank You, Please Share

My family and I are extremely grateful for your help and support during such difficult and dire times. Thanks to you, I may be able to do this and see my family again. Please share this campaign with your friends, family, and colleagues so that we can reach our goal of finding safety and security for the children, women, and men in my family.