Young children impacted by Israel's war in Gaza are in Boston as they recover from trauma.
Aser Abumuhaisen, 5, is making strides learning how to get around in a wheelchair. His leg had to be amputated below the knee.
In January, a bomb hit Aser's home in Gaza, killing a dozen of his family members, including his parents.
"He has really severe burns," the boy's grandmother, Amira Abumuhaisen, said, as translated by Nour-Saida Harzallah, a student in the MD-PHD program at Harvard and MIT. "He's not mobile. And he had a lot of infections. And they had to request a special plane for him to actually get to Boston."
Aser's 13-year-old brother, Anas, was also severely injured.
The brothers are receiving free medical care in Boston through HEAL Palestine, a nonprofit humanitarian organization.
Amira Abumuhaisen is watching over her grandchildren as their health continues to improve.
Anas refused to eat after his parents were killed, but has made progress, according to Harzallah.
"About two days ago, he started eating food, like, regularly and normally, without the need of a feeding tube," she said.
Harzallah serves as a student volunteer for the nonprofit. She speaks fluent Arabic and helps support patients like Aser and his family, as well as a 10-month-old boy named Walid.
The infant was also flown to Boston with his mother, Heba, to receive crucial, time-sensitive treatment for a congenital condition after the war delayed his surgery.
"The first surgery was to open up the skull and relieve some of the pressure," his mom said. "He's doing very well now … He's exceeding the the surgeon's expectations, but he still has a couple more surgeries to go."
Heba describes how tough it's been being away from her home, her husband and her two daughters for months -- sometimes with no communication. But she understands Walid needs special care, and she is very thankful for the host family that took them in.
"The host mom, I kind of consider like a sister. And the kids, they were, you know, they considered Walid their own, as well, like their little brother," she said. "When she got home, it felt like another little, a little family was waiting for her."
Since the Israel-Hamas war broke out in October, more than 35,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the United Nations.
HEAL Palestine continues to bring injured kids from Gaza to the U.S..
If you are interested in donating or applying for the organization's available full-time Arabic speaking social worker positions, click here.
