#farah

Injuries and Illnesses

Melanie had basic first aid training, something she'd learned when she was getting into boxing and kept up later with bounty hunting and private detective work. And she'd faced down a few criminals so she had some experience staying calm. Still, she wasn't a trained medic and would rather not have to deal with someone unconscious.

"I'd rather you just stayed awake, for your sake and mine" she replied. She tried to look into Farah's eyes. They weren't dilated, much, at least. Whatever she'd inadvertently taken--or been drugged with, Melanie hoped to figure out later-- would have to come out of Farah's system, though.

"EMTs should be here in about 5 minutes. We aren't that far from a hospital. Stay with me. Stay awake out of spite, if nothing else. That's what I'd do. You know, I boxed competitively for a few years. I lost a couple of fights due to knockout, but I never actually lost consciousness. You can stay awake, too."

This is a small toy called a “rattle” that we have here in Gaza. I searched for it everywhere in the sand but couldn’t find it… until I finally found one in Al-Zawiya market—the last one left with a street vendor.

Before the war, it cost just 1 shekel (about $0.27)… now it costs 10 shekels (about $2.70).

It’s just a toy, only something to distract my child Saeed for a while… just a simple toy that may not seem important to others.

But imagine… if a small toy costs this much, what about the essential things?

What about milk? What about diapers?

And what about medicines that we simply cannot live without?

We are not asking for much… just trying to survive, to calm our children’s cries, and to provide them with the most basic needs.

If you can help, even with a small donation, or by sharing this post, you could make a real difference 🙏💔🙏💔