In his first week after leaving the intensive care unit: Mohammad: Tarek, for god’s sake.. - What can I do for you ‘Hamoud’? Mohammad: I’m in real pain, please call the doctor. - Dr, Mohammad is calling you out, he is in real pain.. Doctor: We gave him morphine, but he is still in trauma after his leg was amputated. Week Two: Mohammad: Tarek, for god’s sake.. - What can I do for you ‘Hamoud’? Mohammad: Please hand me the knife next to the fruits’ plate. - Why? Mohammad: I want to kill myself, bury me next to uncle kamal - he was a martyr. Week Three: Mohammad: Tarek, for god’s sake.. - What is it this time ‘Hamoud’? Mohammad: Don’t call me ‘Hamoud’ in front of people. -Why? Mohammad: I’m a grown up, I’m 14. Mohamamd Siyam from Rafah was filling the water tanks on their rooftop when a rocket was fired on his family’s house. In his attempt to escape and find a shelter with his family, two other shells hit the house which resulted in killing 12 members of his family. His uncles, their wives and his cousins died after this brutal targeting of the family’s house, the youngest was Dalal (8 months). “When the ambulance first transported Mohammad to Jerusalem for treatment, I thought that he won’t survive”, Mohammad’s grandfather told me, “I thought that he might die on the way to Eriz checkpoint, he will die before even reaching Jerusalem and we will return to Rafah just to bury his young body, this is the scenario that was running in my head the whole time I was in the ambulance”, his grandfather added. He also told me that his grandson’s case is critical because of the psychological break down Mohammad has to go through, “it is not easy, he refused to eat for 3 weeks”, he explained. After the continuous support Mohammad has received from international activists and people in Jerusalem, Mohammad’s psychological state is notably improving. I even started showing him videos about Prosthetic limbs, and how they are intended to restore a degree of normal function to amputees. Surprisingly, Mohammad started to like the idea that he now plays these videos dozens of times a day. “Does that mean I am going to be able to walk again?”, Mohammad asked in excitement, “of course you will, but you need to eat”, I replied. “Will I be able to swim, work and get married?”, he also asked. “Yes!”, I nodded. “Alright Tarek, for god’s sake..”, Mohammad said. “Ok ‘Hamoud’, what is it?”. “Could you please download some music for me- I would like to listen to the resistance songs”, he said and I couldn’t help but to smile
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 09:23:03 +0000
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