After a more than 12-hour journey, eight children who were wounded in the war in Gaza were welcomed to Chicago on Monday afternoon.
“It’s a bittersweet feeling,” said Sarah Alrayyes, director of chapter operations for the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund. “As excited and happy as we are to welcome them here, I know they are coming here with a lot of trauma. They are carrying a heavy load on their shoulders.”
The children, who were between 2 and 14 years old, were evacuated from Gaza to Jordan after suffering extensive injuries caused by airstrikes in the ongoing war. With help from the relief fund, the children were approved for medical evacuation that would allow them to receive treatment in the U.S.
A large crowd of doctors, volunteers and families welcomed the children at the arrival gate at O’Hare Airport.
Six of the children will be stopping over in Chicago on their way to hospitals elsewhere. For two teenagers, Chicago will be home for the next few months.
Eight children from Gaza, ranging in age from 2 to 14, were evacuated from Gaza to Jordan after suffering extensive injuries caused by airstrikes in the ongoing war.
Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Ibrahim and Jana, both 14, lost their arms in explosions from Israeli airstrikes. They, along with their guardians, will be staying with a host family while they receive ongoing treatment at Shriners Children’s Hospital. The last names of the patients and their parents and guardians were not disclosed for their safety.
“We’re excited to meet them,” said Badel Almoshelli, who will be hosting Ibrahim and his mother, Amani. “We are glad to be able to help in any way we can given all the tragic events that are going on.”
In November 2023, Ibrahim and his family were sheltering at a school that was bombed. Ibrahim lost his hand in the explosion, but after making it to a nearby hospital, doctors had to amputate most of his arm. The blast also left him with internal injuries that caused the loss of his left kidney.
Since then, Ibrahim and his mother have not been able to reunite with the rest of their family. Ibrahim’s father and six siblings remain in Gaza.
“I left my other kids behind, but I’m glad to be here, and I hope that my son gets the treatment that he needs,” Amani said through a translator
Jana had gone with her mother to visit her grandparents when an airstrike leveled a nearby home. She suffered injuries to both legs and had to have an arm amputated.
A crowd greets a group of young Palestinian children and teens from Gaza as they arrived Monday at O’Hare Airport.
Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Jana was accompanied to Chicago by her aunt, Islam, after her mother’s request to travel was denied by the Israeli military.
Both Ibrahim and Jana hope to receive prosthetic limbs to help them function independently.
All the patients will remain in the U.S. until their treatments are fully completed and hope to be reunited with their families.
“These children don’t want to leave Gaza, but they have to leave to receive this medical treatment,” said Tareq Hailat, director of global patient affairs with the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund. “They’re glad to be getting help, but their minds are constantly back home with their families.”