Eight children from the Gaza Strip arrived in Chicago for medical care on Monday afternoon after a 12-hour flight, greeted by an enthusiastic crowd. Upon their arrival at Terminal 5 of Chicago O’Hare International Airport, the children and their guardians were met with signs, balloons, and gifts. This initiative was organized by the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF). In the upcoming months, the children will receive medical treatment at U.S. hospitals at no cost. Families across the nation, including some in Chicago, will act as hosts for the children during their treatment.
Nesreen Abulaba, who will be hosting a family from Gaza, expressed her readiness to help: “When I received the call, I immediately said, ‘Yes,’ without hesitation. If we can assist in any way, we will do so.” The children are dealing with severe injuries resulting from bombings, missile strikes, and other war-related violence. Many of them will need limb replacements and reconstructive surgery. One of the children, Nasa, has undergone a leg amputation. He has lost all his siblings and his father; his only remaining family member is his mother, who also has a left leg amputation. Tareq Jailat, the director of global patient affairs for PCRF, reflected, “You start to wonder who will take care of whom?”
While PCRF has conducted similar missions recently, this is the largest group of children they have transported together since the conflict escalated. Sarah Alrayyes of PCRF stated, “As much joy as we feel welcoming these eight children and their guardians for treatment through our organization, we are also reminded of the thousands of children still in Gaza, many of whom are orphaned and injured, desperately needing medical care. The healthcare they require is unavailable to them in Gaza, as the local infrastructure and hospitals have collapsed completely.” PCRF aims to bring as many children from Gaza as possible in the months ahead.
