Looking for Trouble

Sunday in Gaza (Day Eight) by Gerri Haynes, photos by Bob Haynes

(Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility has traveled to Gaza since 1993. Since 2009, following the Cast Lead invasion by Israel, WPSR has sponsored eight medical delegations to serve the besieged, imprisoned and war-torn people of Gaza.)

During the summer war, in the central area of Gaza, a family was preparing the meal after fasting for Ramadan. Four sisters were gathered in the kitchen when, without warning, a rocket struck the house.

Three of the sisters were killed instantly – the fourth, eight-years-old, was blown through the front of the house and into the street below. At the hospital, she too was thought to be dead and was tagged to go to the morgue. Her cousin refused to believe that she was dead. He discovered that she had a pulse and insisted that she receive emergency treatment.

Infected scalp wounds complicated her subsequent medical course. She was comatose and was transferred to Jerusalem and then to Turkey. Eventually, she awakened and was stable enough to return to her remaining family – now living with relatives in an apartment provided by her cousin – a nurse.

Bob and I visited this family today. The little girl has asked repeatedly for her sisters and her cousin had requested consultation on helping her with her grief. She sustained brain damage in the blast and has short-term memory loss and tremors.

Her cousin described the remarkable progress she is

making. We talked about constructing a memory book with photos and stories of her sisters. Since there are no photos other than in a smart phone and there are no keepsakes (everything in the home was destroyed), a notebook full of her stories and memories might help to create a record for her.

The family is surrounding this child with love – we were grateful to meet them. More than 2200 Gazans were killed in the summer “war.” Of the more than 11,000 people injured, nearly 3,500 were children. Thousands of homes in Gaza are filled with people providing care in the presence of profound grief.

Grant O’Keefe, Bill Dienst and Ralph Reydell presented an Advanced Trauma Life Support course at Shifa Hospital today. The staff of the hospital has requested that this course and the Advanced Cardiac Life Support course be repeated in future visits. Ned Rosch has been enthusiastically received in presenting stress reduction instruction and has also been requested to return for more courses.

Earlier in the day, Maxine Fookson and I met with a group of women at the Aisha women’s empowerment clinic. Tomorrow, I’ll post their comments.

This evening, our group was hosted at a farewell gathering. Many of the people we have worked with through this week joined the staff of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme in singing “Happy Birthday” to Bob Haynes!

The Gaza community has proven again to be resilient and courageous. Nearly every person we talk with asks for justice and the right to live free from occupation. We are grateful to have been so graciously received and hope to return to Gaza in April of next year.