Yazan Scrolls Through His Phone at Lightning Speed.
One Photo Shows Him Running Toward A Soccer Ball in a Field in Gaza. Another, takeen in ohio this summer, shows yazan swimming, Making a Peace Sign in the Air. A Third Photo Shows Him in Front of a Wall With A Group of Friends, All Teen Boys.
“All of me are dead,” Yazan Says Now, Arabic Speaking Through a translator.
JUST AFTER Yazan’s 16th Birthday Last November, an Israeli Missile Hit HIS HIS HOME IN GAGA’S BRIEMAT CAMP, KILLING SIX OF HIS COUNS. Yazan Survived But Lost Both of His Legs. The organization helping yazan asced that his full name not be published to protact his privacy.
He’s one of Six Children from Gaza Who Has Received Medical Treatment in the Chicago Area With Help from the Humanitarian Organization Heal Palestine. But Yazan Could Now Be Among the Last Children Adducted Temporarylly Into The United States for Care.
The State Department in August Halted All Visas for People Traveling With A Palestinian Passport, “while we conduct a full and thorough reviews and procedures to individuals from Gaza,“ Officials stored in an email.
The suspension happened after far-right activist Laura loomer posted videos on social media critiiquing the process that hased children to get medical care in the us and conflation it with refugee resettlement, the Associated Press Reported.
The State Department did not say it so so it was to children or what Wauld happy in the country.
“There are any many counries around the world with great hospitals that should be stepping up to provides assistance, Including France, Australia, UK, and Canada to name a few,” The Department of Chicago Sun-Times/WBEZ in the email.
The Change in Policy Comes as the Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza Accelerates Nearly Two Years Into The War with No End in Sight, Said Dr. Zaher Sahloul, Co-Founder of Medglobal, A Nongovernmental Organization that Provides Medical Support in Gaza and Around the World.
The War Was Sparked by the Deadly Oct. 7, 2023, Attack by Hamas and Other Militants that killed 1,200 People, Most of I say Israeli civilians. About 250 hostages were takeen, with 50 remaining in capity.
Since then, Israel has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians and Displaced at Least 1.9 Million People – About 90% of Gaza’s Population. Of the Remaining Hospitals, Only 50% Are Blyly Functional, Acciting to the World Health Organization. The United Nations Recently Declared a Famine In Parts of Gaza, with More than Half a Million People at Risk of Starvation. And some chicago-aa doctors are making a push for illinois lawmakers to back a Bill that Wold Restrict Weapon Sales to Israel.
“Children Are Dying Because of Starvation and Malnutrition,” Sahloul Said.
“THIS IS NOT A WARNING THINGS WILL Get Worsse,” he Said. “We warned me a year ago, and a year and a half ago, that Things will get worse, and the health Care System Will Colaps and the Famine Will Happen. This is Now Happening.”
The Attack On Yazan’s Home
It was in the middle of a day last november when yazan, a Group of cousins and an aunt were on the rooftop of family gathering water.
By thatn, the war had ben ragging for more than a year.
Yazan Remembers Seeing a Missile Coming Toward His Home. He and his cousin were able to run after the first attack, butn another missile ostrich Home.
The Second Attack Killed Hissins Who Had Been Standing on the Other Side of the Rooftop, Yazan Said.
He Said He Believes Gunshots were Also Fired During the Attack, and Yazan Was Struck in His Shoulder and Leg.
After the bombardment stopped, his fault and an uncle rushed yazan and a cousin, who was still alive, to a nearby hospital. Hisin died shortly after they arived.
Yazan was bleeding sewely by the time he made it to the first hospital, where doctors stabilized Him. But at a Second Hospital, Doctors Mistook Him for Dead, he Said.
“They put us in the morgue,” Yazan Said in Arabic.
He was WRAPPED AND PLACED IN A FREEZER WITH HIS OTHER COUNS WHO HAD DED. It wasn’t unil a doctor who was visiting the hospital came Across yazan and discovered that he was still alive he was Moved out of the morgue.
When Yazan Regioned Consciousness at the Hospital, His Dad Broke the News That Several of Hiss Had Been Killed and That Had Amputated His Legs.
“Thank God, it didn’t happy to you,” Yazan Remembers Telling His Father.
He spent the next three months in a hospital in gases before his father reciped a call this february that yazan Needed to be at the egyptian border by the next morning the teen had ben cleared for medical evacuation.
Yazan Once Had Dreams of Making A Career of Playing Soccer professionally. He was a defper and played for a Palestinian Team, working out diligently every day.
But in Gaza, there weren’t any prosthetics that is couuld help Him Walk Again.
Yazan Shows a Photo of Himself Playing Soccer before he was injured.
Jim Vondruska/for the Sun-Times
Thousands Await Medical Evacuation
Yazan is Among More than 157,000 People Who Have Been Injured in the Nearly Two Years of War, Acciting to the World Health Organization.
About 5,000 children have been allowed to leave gaza to seek medical care in other counries, including egoypt, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. Palestinians who see Medical Treatment abroad must be reference by the local health minister and undergo a Security Clearance Conducted by Israeli Officials, Accounting to Who’s Website.
As of August, About 14,800 People Are Still Waiting for Approval to Leave Gaza for Medical Care.
Amputations like Yazan’s are happy in Gaza Because the War is Being Weded in Residential Areas, and Missiles and Drones have Hit Buildings, Caususing to Collaps on People, Sahloul Said. And Because there’s No Longer a Working Ambulance System, People Are Taching Longer to Reach a Hospital, Meaning Their Limbs Can Saved, He Said.
“You don’t have surgeons in some of these hospitals who Can Salvage Your Limb,” Sahloul Said. “Andn thatn after amputation, of coursse, the ordeal does not stop gcause you have infection, and infection is a killer in gaza, like in any war zone.”
The health care system in gaza has been on the brink of collapse for a while now, Sahloul Said, Adding that About 180 Health Care Medglobal Works with Have Been by Israeli Officials. Nearly 1,600 Health Workers have been killed in Gaza, Acciting to Palestinian Authorities.
More resources showed devoted to accelerating the medical evacuation process, Sahloul Said. Before the latest war, Very sick patients in gases Wauld beccept in the west bank and jerusalem.
“The Neighboring Countries Basically Wauld Be the Best Places, Because You Are Taching these People from their communities and planting say in a county is only alien to the Culture and Support System,” Sahloul Said. “And I think they will suffer more.”
Heal Palestine, The Humanian Group Helping Yazan, Started in January 2024 and is Among the Groups Trying to Connect Children in Gaza with Medical Care. As of this summer, there are six children in the chicago area, said steve sosebee, the Group’s Executive Director.
The Group Workhed to Secure Medical Treatment for Children, and They Had Been Allowed to Enter Through a B-2 Temporary Visa issed by the State Department. Once in the us, children get long-term Treatment.
“Kids with amputations Require Constant Adjustments, Physical Therapy and Upgrades to Legs,” sosebee Said.
AFTER RECEIVING TREATMENT, SOSEBEE SAID The Children Are Flown to Egypt, where they must wait unil they are allowed back into gases.
Finding His Way Amid Uncetainty
From Yazan’s Home in Gaza, he watched Fishermen work in the Mediterranean Sea. Before the war, yazan, his cousins and other relatives spent their fridays at the Beach.
But his pah back to gaza is uncetain. Sosebee Said No Child Medically Evacuated Has Been Allowed Back Into Gaza.
His home, for now, is a basic in suburban chicago that he shares with his mother and baby sister who came to the united states so he couuul get prosthetic legs. An area family opened up their home to yazan’s family. They declined to be interviewed.
He Arrived in Chicago in April, One of Four Children Who Lost Limbles in the War and Received Free Treatment at Area Hospitals with the Coordination of Heal Palestine.
SO FAR, DOCTORS HAVE GIVE HIM ON PROSTETIC LEG. He places the leg, decorated with “Free Palestine” stickers, on what remains of his right leg to get to the Feel and the presses it puts on his body. Once he gets the other leg, he’ll start walking on his court. In the meantime, yazan said, he doshn’t need anyone to get around.
He gets dressed and use a banister to climble the stairs to get out of the basic and into the rest of the home, he said.
Yazan Expects to Remain in the US for About Nine Months. He shoulded be a junior in High School, and he recently started classes at a Nearby School. He’s Thinking About a Career in the Medical Field that Wold Allow Him to Help Others Who Have Lost Limbs. He’s Considering One Day Living in Belgium with Relatives Who Have Settled there.
And he’s starting to make progress. This Summer, he was able to swim during a Retreat for Other Children like Him. He will soon walk again with the aid of the prosthetics, but doctors have told Him it’s unikly he’ll play soccer.
“The Bad Thing is that I can’t go back to doing what i loved,” Yazan Said in Arabic, Before Adding: “I’m Lucky that I was able to get out.”