Dressed for the clinic: healing for Raeda in Gaza

Raeda was taken to hospital unconscious. When she woke up days later, she could not recognise her family.

The right side of her body was completely paralysed and she could not speak. Doctors explained that the injury had affected both her movement and speech.

‘They told me her case was hopeless,’ her mother says. ‘They said she would not walk or speak again.’

Further devastation for Raeda and her family

One day, while Raeda was in the hospital recovering from her head injury, her father left to get her a blanket. On his way back, he was hit by an airstrike, leaving him badly injured. He was admitted to another ward in the same hospital as his daughter.

For a time, father and daughter were patients in the same hospital. Raeda’s mother was moving between wards, caring for her injured child while waiting for updates about her husband.

He passed away a few days later. The family was devastated.

Raeda was eventually discharged from the hospital, but she was far from healed. Her mother searched for rehabilitation services across Gaza.

Many organisations refused to take her case. Some said their projects were funded for only one or two months. Others told her directly that Raeda’s condition would require long-term care and that improvement was unlikely.

‘They told me not to expect anything,’ her mother says.

‘This place gave her back her life’

Eventually, Raeda was referred to Anera’s primary healthcare clinic in Deir Al Balah, supported by Tearfund. A physiotherapist at the clinic assessed her condition and recommended daily therapy.

‘He said she needed treatment every day,’ her mother recalls. ‘Not three times a week.’

Raeda now visits Anera's physiotherapy clinic every morning. ‘This place gave her back her life,’ Raeda's mother says.

The dedication of Raeda’s physiotherapist

Although his official workday begins at 8:00am, Raeda’s physiotherapist arrives each day at 7:30am to work with her. He began doing this in light of her condition and the need for consistency.

At first, progress was limited. Raeda struggled to sit, then to stand. Her right side remained stiff and unresponsive. Over time, the daily sessions led to movement returning gradually – first in her hand, then her leg.

After three months, Raeda was able to walk independently. Her speech also began to return, moving from sounds to words, then full sentences.

‘When she started talking, I remembered what they had told me earlier in the hospital. That she would never speak again,’ her mother recalls.

Today, Raeda walks into the clinic on her own. She speaks clearly and follows conversations. Before each visit, she gets dressed up. After years of war and displacement, Raeda now has few clothes but carefully chooses the best of what she has.

‘She always wants to look her best,’ her mother says.

For her mother, the change was not only physical. ‘They didn’t see her as a hopeless case,’ she says. ‘They treated her like a child who deserved care.’

Our work with Anera in Gaza

Anera has deep roots and more than 25 years of history in Deir Al Balah. A monastery was built there in the mid-fourth century AD, giving it its name which translates to ‘Monastery of the Date Palm’.

Tearfund is currently working with Anera to fund three clinics, including the one where Raeda receives care. They also provide hot meals and other basic supplies to communities in need thanks to funding from Tearfund. Through Anera, we are helping humanitarian workers manage the psychological impact of their work in such distressing circumstances as well.

Following Jesus where the need is greatest

Through our partners, we’re able to follow Jesus where the need is greatest and show his love and compassion for communities in desperate need.

With persistent breaches of the ceasefire and limited aid access, the situation remains incredibly precarious for people in Gaza. Even in the midst of this crisis, however, Raeda’s strength and healing, and the compassion of her physiotherapist, show us that God is present and at work.

Your faithful support not only responds to God’s call to love our neighbour, but it also ensures we can continue to serve people like Raeda, who are affected by ongoing instability in Gaza.