Deir el-Balah, Gaza – Three-year-old Hanan al-Daqqi spends her days along with her youthful sister Misk, sometimes asking questions.
“The place’s Mama?”
“The place did my legs go?”
The 2 toddlers have been within the hospital for 4 months since they had been introduced there, battered and bleeding from an Israeli bombing, and had their legs amputated.
Their father’s sister, Shefa al-Daqqi, 28, has been by their facet since then, however she nonetheless doesn’t know learn how to reply the ladies’ questions.
‘Trapped in a nightmare’
On the morning of September 2, Shaima al-Daqqi obtained up early to take her two daughters – Hanan and 22-month-old Misk – to get the polio vaccine, which was being provided to individuals within the midst of Israel’s battle on Gaza.
The next day, after the household had lunch, Israel bombed their residence in Deir el-Balah.
It killed 25-year-old Shaima and injured the remainder of the household, together with her husband Mohammed al-Daqqi, and tore by means of the 2 little women’ legs.
Hanan was severely injured, shedding each her legs – one above the knee and one beneath – and sustaining wounds throughout her physique, together with her face and intestines. She needed to endure surgical procedure to take away a part of her bowels.
In the meantime, little Misk needed to have her left foot amputated.
Their father, Mohammed, 31, was in intensive care for 2 weeks with a mind haemorrhage and accidents to his chest.
“We’ve been trapped in a nightmare for 4 months now,” says Shefa as she tries to assuage Hanan, who has been fragile and unstable because the assault.
Each women are in a state of fearful panic, clinging to their aunt continually.
Shefa tries to consolation them, however usually finds herself weeping over the little women, partly in unhappiness and partly in worry over what the longer term will maintain for them.
“All I can inform her now could be that her mom is in heaven. What sort of future have they got to stay up for?
“How will [they] really feel as they develop and see how completely different they’re from different children their age? How will Hanan put on the garments she likes a lot?
“What do I say when she asks for fairly clothes or footwear?’
“It’s tougher for Hanan as a result of she understands greater than her sister, and her accidents had been way more extreme.”
The hospital and its employees are working in such an overcrowded and underequipped surroundings that there’s no risk of offering psychological help for the ladies.
Watching different kids’s legs
Shefa, a mom of three herself, takes shifts caring for the 2 women, switching with their grandmother, the late Shaima’s mom, their paternal uncle Ahmed, 29, and their father, who stays with them at night time.
Each time they will, the adults deliver little treats for the ladies, no matter they handle to search out within the markets. The ladies usually ask for toys, however there are none to be discovered in order that they need to make do with no matter little equipment and treats their household can discover.
Ahmed is probably the most enjoyable for the ladies, Shefa says, taking part in with them and taking them out of their room to take a look at the remainder of the hospital.
“None of us can or will ever have the ability to exchange a mom,” says Shefa, her eyes purple and tears streaming.
“I’ll always remember Hanan’s look once I introduced my daughter Hala, who’s her age, to go to them,” Shefa recollects.
“Hanan would stare at Hala’s legs after which at her personal amputated legs, confused. Earlier than her damage, they used to run and play collectively on a regular basis.
“Now they play on the hospital mattress,” Shefa, who used to dwell in Jabalia however was displaced along with her household a 12 months in the past to her household’s home in Deir el-Balah, mentioned.
As a result of the ladies are in a section of quick development, they’ve been stored within the hospital for fixed follow-up on their lengthening bones. What physiotherapy the hospital can provide them will not be fixed sufficient to assist them a lot.
They draw, play with guests, or play with their grownup companion’s cell phone to cross the time.
A mom’s adoration
When Israel’s battle on Gaza began, Shaima was consumed with worry for her daughters.
She couldn’t eat or sleep, shedding loads of weight as she fretted about discovering the meals and system the ladies wanted.
She had all the time been dedicated to her daughters, spending time with them and dealing to supply them with no matter they wished.
Particularly little Hanan, who cherished getting dressed up, caring deeply about her clothes and footwear.
“Shaima adored them,” provides Shefa.
When polio vaccines had been rolled out in Gaza and Israel agreed to permit the marketing campaign to proceed unmolested, Shaima was decided that her daughters would at the least have that safety.
She inspired her sisters and in-laws to do the identical.
“In fact, all of us feared any hurt to our youngsters. However what’s the purpose? Youngsters get safety from polio, however then an Israeli air strike takes their legs? How does that make any sense?” provides Shefa.
Ready for therapeutic
Hanan and Misk can’t full their restoration in Gaza as a result of Israel has destroyed the well being sector, so their names had been placed on a listing of people that want to depart Gaza for remedy.
The World Well being Group collects the names that go on the record, however no person can depart except Israel approves their departure, and it has not authorised the ladies’ but.
“We’ve been ready greater than three months. They’re simply little women [who] desperately want prosthetic limbs. Their psychological state is worsening,” says Shefa.
It isn’t simply prosthetics that the ladies can’t get in Gaza. They have to be absolutely assessed and undergo a rehabilitation course of earlier than prosthetics could be thought-about.
As a result of Hanan and Misk are nonetheless rising, the bone development related to their ages may also pose challenges that can want fixed follow-up and presumably a number of surgical procedures.
What Shefa is aware of is that the little women’ lives won’t ever be the identical once more.
“Hanan desires to put on footwear and she or he asks me why she will’t … why she will’t go play within the park,” she says.
“I don’t have solutions.”