Palestinian Youth Receive Medical Care in the US, Yet Navigate an Uncertain Path Ahead

Ahed Bseso was in her kitchen in northern Gaza when her uncle had to amputate her injured right leg. Her mother, standing by, cried out, "Ahed is dead!"

Despite her mother's words, 18-year-old Bseso was alive and well. She now shares her story from a hospital in Greenville, South Carolina.

Bseso recounted a terrifying experience from December 19 last year. She was on the top floor of her house in Gaza trying to get a cellphone signal when an Israeli tank fired at her building. The impact caused a section of her home's wall to collapse on her leg, along with heavy debris.

Unfortunately, her neighborhood was under siege and she had no access to medical help. In a desperate situation, her uncle, who had experience as an orthopedic surgeon, had to improvise. He used kitchen supplies to amputate her leg below the knee and applied unsterilized gauze to dress the wound.

The aftermath of the incident was filled with excruciating pain for Bseso.

She shared with CNN at the Shriners Children's hospital that she was unable to leave her house for four days because the Israelis wouldn't allow it. Despite her pain, she had no access to medication to alleviate her suffering during that time.

Her amputation video gained widespread attention online and reached the Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF), a US organization dedicated to providing free healthcare to Palestinian children in need. The PCRF team, led by Tareq Hailat, worked tirelessly for weeks to arrange her evacuation from northern Gaza and transport her to the United States for medical treatment.

Ahed Bseso's right leg was amputated at home in Gaza after a tank fired at her building, bringing a wall and debris crashing down on her.

Ahed Bseso's right leg was amputated at home in Gaza after a tank fired at her building, bringing a wall and debris crashing down on her.

Celina Odeh

She is one of three Palestinians who received PCRF’s help to come to the US for leg injury treatment.

UNICEF reported in December that at least 1,000 children in Gaza have undergone amputations on one or both legs. Although UNICEF spokesperson Joe English did not provide an exact number, he mentioned to CNN that the figure has increased since then.

According to Save the Children, nearly 26,000 children in the Gaza Strip, which is just over 2% of the child population, were either killed or injured during the first six months of the Israel-Hamas conflict. From October 7, 2023, when the Hamas attack on Israel took place, to early April, over 13,800 children lost their lives and a minimum of 12,009 suffered injuries.

Avoiding amputations

Two-year-old Jood Damo’s house was struck by a tank shell on December 26 last year, killing his mother and fracturing his right leg.

His father, Ahmed Damo, shared with CNN that his young son witnessed the tragic death of his mother. Even now, the toddler still has moments where he asks about her and sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night crying and screaming, longing for his mother.

Currently, doctors at a hospital in Chicago are evaluating whether the injured leg of the boy will heal properly and grow at the same pace as his left leg. If not, this could potentially slow down his recovery process and treatment plan, according to PCRF.

Two-year-old Jood Damo with a PCRF staffer.

Two-year-old Jood Damo with a PCRF staffer.

Ayham Musalm, 13, shared that he suffered a fractured left leg and had glass shrapnel stuck in his knee after debris from a strike on a neighbors' house entered his home on December 10. Despite his injuries, he went several months without receiving a proper diagnosis. He explained to CNN, "I couldn't see a doctor for a long time. One doctor eventually stitched up my wound, dismissed it as not serious, and sent me home."

Musalm has been receiving care at Shriners Children’s Hospital in Greenville, where imaging and MRI scans helped American doctors locate glass fragments in his knee. Thanks to surgery and ongoing treatment, Musalm was able to avoid amputation and is currently undergoing physical therapy.

The process of getting children out of Gaza and into the United States with the help of PCRF can be lengthy, sometimes taking weeks or even months. Securing US visas for the children is just one step in the process. Additionally, moving the children within Gaza or out of the strip requires approval from Israeli authorities, which can be a complex and challenging procedure, as explained by Hailat, who is involved in coordinating these evacuations.

Delaying treatment for injuries can have serious consequences, according to Dr. Amber Alayyan from Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). She emphasized that the longer someone waits for care, the more severe their condition may become.

Having traveled to Gaza multiple times, Alayyan noted that the region was capable of providing necessary care for injuries before the healthcare system was severely affected by the war.

Displaced Palestinians from Rafah are seen traveling on a vehicle in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. They were forced to leave their homes after the Israeli military started evacuating civilians from the eastern parts of the city due to a potential assault. This happened during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas on May 6, 2024.

Ramadan Abed/Reuters

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Palestinians escaping Rafah are sharing their experiences of fear and hopelessness as they embark on a journey to the unknown.

A healthcare worker recalled heartbreaking scenes of individuals with severe injuries walking into clinics, unable to receive proper care due to the collapse of the healthcare system. Before the conflict, Gaza had 3,500 hospital beds, but now they are filled with displaced people seeking refuge, leaving no room for patients in need of medical attention.

The wounds of these patients are starting to rot, causing a noticeable smell, according to the speaker.

In such challenging circumstances, medical professionals are having difficulty pinpointing infections and types of injuries, with their main priority being to save lives.

You may not have needed to undergo amputations if a functioning system was in place. Reconstructive surgery and immediate lifesaving procedures could have been performed to save your limbs, according to Hailat from PCRF. Unfortunately, the situation in Gaza, with limited medical resources, forced amputation as the only option for Bseso's injury.

Upon arriving in the United States, it was discovered that the bone in her other leg was also infected. There were concerns that she might require amputation of both legs. However, with proper care and treatment, she was able to avoid this outcome.

Anxious wait to go back home

Not all injured children from Gaza choose to go to the United States for treatment, according to Hailat. Although the country has taken in 20 children for medical care, Hailat mentioned that he has sent 17 of them to other countries.

Hailat mentioned that in cases of severe injuries, he opts for immediate medical attention in the region over seeking expertise and advanced care in the United States.

CNN's Jomana Karadsheh visits a hospital in Doha where patients are recovering from devastating injuries received during the war in Gaza.

CNN's Jomana Karadsheh visits a hospital in Doha where patients are recovering from devastating injuries received during the war in Gaza.

Clipped From Video

video

Related video

A special hospital ward in Qatar is treating wounded individuals from the war in Gaza. The director of the hospital mentioned that they aim to provide the necessary treatment for children who are evacuated to the US. They prefer to bring people to local areas and countries near Gaza, but if a child requires a specific treatment only available in the United States, they will make the necessary arrangements to ensure the child receives the needed care.

Culture plays a significant role in the care and recovery process, according to Hailat. He emphasizes the importance of keeping patients close to their homeland to ease their adaptation process. Hailat stresses the sensitivity of the situation and the need to avoid making patients feel disconnected from their country.

Bseso shares her concerns about her mother's health deteriorating due to malnourishment in northern Gaza. She anxiously awaits updates from home, knowing that her family must climb to the roof of their building to get a cell signal to contact her. This routine, which led to Bseso being in the line of fire from Israel, is a familiar one for her family.

She hopes to be reunited with her family in a safe place. "We really need our family to be together with us," she expressed.

Musalm also looks forward to completing his treatment so he can go back to Gaza and be with his family.

But we can't predict when that will happen. Once the children complete their treatments, which Hailat mentioned could take around a year, PCRF will make sure that Gaza is safe for them before sending them back. Hailat emphasized, "We won't take any risks that could harm them. So we need to wait until we are certain that Gaza is a secure place for their return."

Editor's P/S:

The article vividly portrays the harrowing experiences of Palestinian children caught in the crossfire of the conflict in Gaza. Ahed Bseso's story is particularly poignant, highlighting the desperate measures taken by her uncle to save her life amidst the chaos and lack of medical access. The fact that she was forced to endure four days of excruciating pain without medication is a testament to the dire conditions faced by civilians in conflict zones.

The article also sheds light on the challenges faced by international organizations like the Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF) in providing timely and appropriate medical care to injured children in Gaza. The lengthy process of obtaining visas and securing approval from Israeli authorities for evacuations underscores the complexities of operating in such a volatile region. The need to prioritize immediate medical attention over specialized care abroad further highlights the limited resources and infrastructure available within Gaza. The ongoing conflict has exacerbated the situation, leading to the collapse of the healthcare system and leaving countless individuals with untreated injuries.