Hello. My name is Mads—I am a 24-year-old librarian and writer living in central Illinois. I know that GoFundMe campaigns can save lives, because they once saved mine. We all deserve this chance to live and to feel relief.

I am starting this GoFundMe on behalf of a small Palestinian family of five. They are Asmaa, whose husband Eid was martyred, and their four children, Ahmed (13), Amal (13), Musleh (7), and Mariam (4).

This is a message from Asmaa:

"Hello, I am Asmaa from Gaza, and this is my story. I am a mother of four wonderful children: Ahmed, Amal, Musleh, and my little Mariam. They are very smart children with high aspirations despite the difficult circumstances we are living in. Before October 7th, my husband and I used to live happily with our children in our beautiful home, always eager to provide the best for them. My husband Eid used to work in educational institutions here in Gaza, which was our only source of income. After October 7th, the war broke out, and our lives changed completely. I lost my husband on May 5th, and that was the biggest turning point in my life and my children's lives. We were very sad, our hearts shattered. I felt that no one stood by me, I was alone, and I completely lost hope in living.

The circumstances get harder every day. I fear for my children to go out because they could lose their lives due to the bombing happening in Gaza every second. There is no safety anymore. We also lost our home and we reached a shelter.

My children have suffered from many diseases since the beginning of the war. They have endured hepatitis for a period. My little girl, Mariam, burned her face when she fell on the cooking fire because there is no gas.

Now we are without a breadwinner for the family, and I am alone. Therefore, I decided to stand up again for my children because they are young. Ahmed is 13 years old, Amal is 13, Musleh is 7, and Mariam is 4 years old. I want to get them to safety."

Many Palestinian families in Gaza are crowdfunding their urgent evacuation to Egypt due to the ongoing genocide. The cost of survival is exorbitant and there are many barriers in place. GoFundMe does not operate in Palestine, so these families rely on trusted friends and family in other countries to manage their campaigns and facilitate the transfer of any funds raised.

All funds received in this campaign will support the emergency evacuation of Asmaa, Ahmed, Amal, Musleh, and Mariam to safety. The funds will be collected by me and then securely transferred abroad to a trusted family friend in Jordan, who has successfully assisted with other campaigns. They will then facilitate the final transfer directly to Asmaa.

Please consider donating in any amount, if you are able. $5 is a great place to start! Sharing this campaign is also tremendously helpful. Networks of mutual aid and care sustain us; we are all we have.

Asmaa, Ahmed, Amal, Musleh, and Mariam are endlessly grateful for any and all support. They are counting on us; we cannot fail them.