At just four years old, Ahmad has endured more loss and hardship than most experience in a lifetime. In October 2023, his entire immediate family was killed by bombing that destroyed their home in Beit Hanoun, Gaza. Ahmad survived with minor injuries, but was severely injured by a missile strike a few weeks later while searching for food at a local market with his uncle Saleh who was killed. Doctors at Gaza’s Al Aqsa Hospital managed to save his life, but both of his legs had to be amputated above the knees. Ahmad, now a bilateral amputee, faced a future filled with uncertainty and unimaginable pain.
By then, news of Ahmad’s plight had reached the world, and among those advocating for his medical evacuation were individuals who would soon come together to form Kinder Relief. With the support of the Egyptian government Ahmad was evacuated to Cairo, with his surviving uncle Ibrahim, for emergency medical care. In Egypt, Kinder Relief provided medical support, essential supplies, and psychological care to help Ahmad begin healing. We were determined to secure the best long-term treatment for Ahmad, and arranged for his treatment at Inail, one of Italy’s premier prosthetic centers in Budrio.
In April 2024, Ahmad and his uncle Ibrahim, along with seven other severely injured children and their companions, were evacuated by Kinder Relief to Italy from Egypt. Since his arrival, Ahmad has been fitted with his first set of prosthetics and is taking his first steps toward recovery. He is not only learning to walk again but also regaining his childhood – one filled with newfound possibilities.
